blog 2
Within chapters 2 and 3 of the Digital Humanities book it is able to highlight how data modeling and digitalization impact the areas of the world of DH. These new ideas help us change our perspective on how we view cultural artifacts. It's important to show how this information is not simply technical. A wonderful example is the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), which is a good example of what this actually means.
In chapter 2 data modeling is explained in detail. As the reading states, data modeling is structuring and organizing data to answer research questions and tell stories" (pg. 19). DPLAs metadata is able to help with accessibility making it easy for the scholar and average individual with one search to have a wealth of information at their fingertips. The DPLA is able to provide one destination where you are able to access hundreds of thousands of pictures, manuscript, and text from libraries, archives and museums. This as stated previously is important because its able to give more diversity to who is able to access this knowledge. Now you are not forced to travel to a different country to retain information.
In our textbook in chapter 3 then went on to highlight how digitization is able to broaden our knowledge of digital heritage. It is able to do this by giving access to materials and by maintaining and preserving materials. An important quote from the chapter reads “preserve cultural heritage and democratize access" (p. 34) . DPLA is such a great example of this effort by putting such a strong emphasis on gathering information from many different places and their attention to detail when digitizing their work. Their goal is to give quality access to people around the world because as they state "Our mission is to make America's cultural and historical resources available to everyone, free of charge" (DPLA.org). This compliments the chapter's main narrative of how important it is to expand access to historical documents.
DPLA is able to shed light on how digital work and data modeling blends in with digital humanities. Digitalizing works of history is key in making them easily accessible to the public while data modeling using metadata helps Digitization preserve physical objects and makes them widely accessible, while data modeling, through structured metadata, aids in organizing and helps to make this data efficient to use. These two things demonstrate how Digital humanitie has the ability to revolutionize our understanding and approachable platforms.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video you provided that offered more information regarding the DPLA and its mission as a digital humanities platform. In your blog post, you mention how the DPLA is a digital destination designed to provide accessible information about a wide variety of topics. My digital humanities project, the virtual tour of the Natural History Museum, is similar although not as expansive it the information that it provides. The Smithsonian museum created it's virtual tour in order to allow for the history and information displayed in the museum to be more accessible to more people. Like the DPLA, the museum's mission is to not only preserve history but to inform many regarding the lessons learned from history to as many people as possible.
ReplyDeleteYes, a nice look at the DPLA! And digitization is such a crucial part of digital heritage in both disseminating/making accessible literature and history, but also in something like a 360 tour of a museum space, as Sunny points out!
ReplyDeleteI like how you make it very clear how the digital world has placed these historical objects out of a certain place and time. The accessibility that people get now a days is amazing. The biggest struggle humans face is the unknown. Therefore, I think the digital world has really given humans a sense of security when it comes to the enjoyment of life. People who utilize their digital devices and methods in the correct way can learn more about what they're interested in. For one I think the new digital age inspires people to be more creative. The free access to connect with other and relics of history, helps rapidly expand the artistic works of the world. The walkthrough tours at the moment seem to be the closest we can get to simulating real experiences other than virtual reality. Not only do these digital methods help peak our interest in the possibilities, but they also stop us from possibly wasting time on something we might not enjoy. I also think that the new technology could lead to a better connection with historical moments in time. Not everyone can make it out to the real museums. What's most important is the organized sharing of information. Being able to see these historical items from your own home is awesome. Even my father who is 42 years old says I'll just check it out online if its somewhere I might want to go. The ease of use and the accessibility of the digital world is not just limited to the younger generations. I think we all often look past the work that goes into the software behind the apps and technology that we use to connect with each other.
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