Getting Cozy with Kentucky Textiles

Whew, the summer is going by pretty quickly! I am nearly halfway through the 2014 Susan and Todd Bosworth Project Assistant internship at the Kentucky Historical Society and because of this, would like to reflect on my experience a little bit. But first, a little info about what exactly I do.

In my internship with the Kentucky Historical Society, I am working with their largest collection, the Churchill Weavers Collection. Based in Berea, Kentucky, the Churchill Weavers was a textile business started by David Carrol and Eleanor Churchill in 1922.

Founders and Owners David Carrol and Eleanor Churchill. Churchill Weavers Collection, Kentucky Historical Society.

Creating luxury handwoven goods that were sold both locally and nationally, the business concentrated primarily on making baby blankets, throws, and accessories. Upon closing in 2007, the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation and Joan Cralle Day funded the purchase of the Churchill Weavers business archives. It was – and continues to be – the Historical Society’s biggest acquisition to date. This collection is extensive, diverse, beautiful, and really fun to work with. It contains not just a fabric archive of over 30,000 pieces but also a wealth of business documents, designs and sketches, pattern books, marketing plans, scrapbooks, loom parts, and more! It’s a collection that only after years of study, would I be able to see everything. I highly recommend allowing yourself a few minutes to see some of the collection. While not all of it is online, you can see part of it through the society’s Digital Collections, or in the KHS Objects Catalog. The Kentucky Historical Society also has a blog and by searching for the Churchill Weavers you can read some blog posts that discuss the collection.

As for my duties and responsibilities, there are two general parts to the internship. The first aspect – to be discussed in this blog post today – is collections work. The second part (which I plan to talk about in my next blog post) is contributing to a marketing campaign to increase public awareness and use of the Churchill Weavers collection.

The chance to get hands-on experience with textiles has been one of the best parts of this internship. The Churchill Weavers have a long history in Kentucky. If you ask many Kentucky natives, you’ll find that they or their family members had at least one baby blanket or couch throw that was made by the company. Working with local materials and products that are held in such high regard is extremely enjoyable and it reinforces the value and significance of this collection.

This stole was woven in 1938 and made with wool and rayon materials. Churchill Weavers Collection, Kentucky Historical Society.

In addition to physically examining and caring for the textiles, I also work with Past Perfect Museum Management software by double checking that everything is up-to-date and correct in terms of the textile’s material composition, structure, design, and any other details. Although the chunk of the materials I am currently inventorying are clothing accessories such as scarves and stoles, there are also purses and clutches included in the collection.

The company also made items specifically geared towards men.

Growing up, I always had an interest in textiles, so this has been the perfect opportunity to understand how some textiles are made and the variety of ways that they can be used. With the Churchill Weavers collection, I also am getting an idea of how time affects textiles and how other aspects of preservation, like temperature and storage, can affect their condition. There are even times when the textile’s materials are their own worst enemy (called inherent vice, this is probably one of my favorite new terms). According to Marie Demeroukas, editor of Basic Condition Reporting: A Handbook, inherent vice is “a weakness in the construction of an object or an incompatibility of the materials that constitute it.” Two excellent examples she gives are a thin handle on a heavy pot or metallic salts added to silks.

I am very thankful to have this opportunity to work in depth with one of the Kentucky Historical Society’s fantastic collections. And now that I have an understanding of what plain, twill, overshot, and monk’s belt (my personal favorite) weaves are, we’ll see what I learn next!

It’s a Webby World

There are times that I admit I feel confused navigating through the digital world. In thinking about this and reflecting on my Digital Media class this term, I realized there is a lot more for me to learn and a lot of spaces for me to explore.

One of the first things I took in – and one of the most important – is that digital Media is not just reaching new audiences, it is also creating and sharing new resources and unique perspectives. In stumbling across the source for my blog post this week, I was struck by the immense number of places to visit and the potential to stay, investigate, and personalize.

Conducted annually are the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences Webby awards. The Academy, created in 1998, “to help drive the creative, technical, and professional progress of the Internet and evolving forms of interactive media,” presents the Webby’s to recognize “excellence in interactive creativity, establishing best practices on a yearly basis, and thus pushing the standards of web development continually higher.” The Webbys honors: Websites, Interactive Advertising & Media, Online Film & Video, Mobile & Apps, and Social Media.

Webby Awards 2014

The awards are currently in their 18th year. Looking through some of the nominated websites, there is really an impressive range of offerings – sites that point to the potential of shared authority in a flexible space like the internet. Take for instance, Black in History. A tumblr site, this forum has been nominated in two categories – web education and cultural blog. This is a great site (no, really visit it) with nicely organized content and extensive visual appeal (try searching for something). Very much a history blog, really more of a public history blog, the site exemplifies the potential for web 2.0 and digital media to shape and share new stories, resources, and perspectives. In the effort to share little know knowledge, it reaches new audience, such as myself. For instance, I learned about Dorothy Height – National Council of Negro Women president from 1957 to 1997 and Joseph Lee, a pioneer in the food prep industry.

One of the great things about this site was its clarity and accessibility. There are links to outside resources, tags for navigating, related items, and spaces for commenting. Users are also able to scroll forward or backward to the next historical figure. There is no need to go back to a main page to view something new.

Histagrams 2014

Another interesting nominated application was Histagrams. Putting a humorous spin on history, it is “History depicted as Instagrams” according to its tagline. Appealing to unique audiences through sarcasm and wit, it is an extremely engaging space. One that I am planning on returning to.

These various platforms and spaces seem to represent the best out there and it is exciting to know that there are more out there for me, and everyone else, to experience. It was also nice to note that I could even look at past years winners and in a sense, understand how the web environment and culture has evolved. It reminds me, that like every other sharing space and knowledge in general, the web evolves – and that it has a history. It shows how people have made the internet their own, carving niches that can fit a range of interests and needs.

For example, in reading through past awards, I learned that the 2013 Webby LIfetime Achievement Award went to Steve Wilhite, inventor of the GIF file format. It is strange to think that the GIF experienced its 25th birthday in 2012. Thinking of this piece of history, it also encouraged me to look forward, both in terms of how I will interact with and contribute to Web 2.0 and the digital world and how it will further evolve. What further changes do you think will come to the digital world?

Narratives in Action

Off to find some treasure!

teachingthepastinthepresent

As our final project for class, we are focusing on an upcoming exhibit at LUMA entitled Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits, Women Religious and American Experience 1814-2014 opening this summer. Our class has been helping in aspects of advertising this exhibit through digital media. Currently we are preparing to create an online exhibit and a video that will focus on a specific artifact from the exhibit.

Our group’s artifact is a gold dalmatic c. 1870 from Holy Family parish in Chicago. A dalmatic is a sleeved robe with open sides worn by deacons for celebrations in the nineteenth century. Each group in the class was also given a narrative to use as the basis for the video. For class next week, each group needed to create a storyboard for their video.

Dalmatic c. 1870 from Holy Family Parish

We believe our video narrative focusing on the gold dalmatic can be…

View original post 434 more words

Childhood … Remix!

For this week’s blog post, I decided to revisit a previous assignment. In New Media, our assignment is to look at a public history website and critique it. When thinking about what I wanted to look at, I realized that I had a lot more to say concerning a site in one of my previous posts and so that site is where I will begin.

One of my first posts was about BBC’s Primary History. Discussing the platform in terms of it Web2.0-ness, there were some points that although I was very interested in discussing, I did not go into. One of these points were the site’s videos and animations.

Located in the center-right of the page are videos used to make some of these historical ideas come to life.

One of my main criticisms of the site was that there were not many forums for feedback or comments. This was something that as a Public Historian bothered me a little – especially as I consider it a Public History website. More importantly though, it got me thinking. Not completely sure of what I wanted to say at the time, I now want to take the time and space now to explore some of my questions.

Roman character Romala discusses Roman spaces, activities, and food.

My first question was how do historians see childhood? I know that in my work with elementary students, I used standards to gauge where kids were educationally, mentally, and even emotionally. In thinking about the videos I was watching and in reflecting on my own experience, I began to wonder what producers were hoping to share with or impart to students.

These thoughts led me to think about where children are positioned in education. In the dynamics of learning are they receiving, responding, or instigating? The creation of these fun educational videos go towards a purpose. What is that purpose?

Perhaps the question that weighed most on my mind was what is appropriate for children to learn? Furthermore what is appropriate for students to comment on when they are watching Public History productions? In watching some videos featured on the site, I began to think about students’ possible reactions – not just what they might have enjoyed, but also what they might not have understood.

So, in stating questions, I am leading to the one that has nagged at me the most…When does collaborative learning start? Public History is at it’s core, about collaboration. It is about sharing – authority, ideas, and opinions. Videos are a great way to get across some of these ideas and opinions. Add to it that they can not only be interesting but visually and aurally engaging, there is a lot that students can learn through this medium. But in watching these videos, I question when students, or actually viewers in general, start to have input in what they are learning. When are they understood to have some knowledge that is important and that can contribute to broader or more expansive ideas? Are these concerns something that Public History addresses? Even for younger participants? I am asking a lot of questions but I have one more for you… what do you think?

So thinking about my past experience working with students, these are hard questions to interpret and respond to. With more ways for individuals to connect with information and technology – children included – there are also more ways for people to comment, critique, and contribute. A person’s willingness to engage with ideas is active at any age, and students, like everybody else, want to react and make some mark on the material they have at hand.

(I apologize for not having any of the videos present… my computer is currently having some issues with the video and audio. I will later repost with videos.)

Telling New Stories in Digital Media

 

 

 

This week the topic in my Public History and New Media course is digital storytelling. Much like the digital world today, this concept covers a lot of ground and ranges from something smaller like a short comment chain inhabiting a Facebook wall to more complex products like videos and games. Providing background on digital storytelling and exploring numerous examples for discussion was our reading for this week, Bryan Alexander’s The New Digital Storytelling: Creating Narratives with New Media. In addition to the assigned reading of chapters one through three and chapter 12, each of us was to read an additional chapter. I chose chapter five, “Social Media Storytelling.”

 

Concentrating on possibilities in audio and video production, Alexander breaks his examination into three general categories: podcasts, web videos, and voicethread – in essence a mixture of the two aforementioned media. In deciding how I wanted to carry out the assignment for this week, I looked at a few things and eventually decided to talk about web videos through an examination of PBS’s Freedom Riders video material – particularly the content pertaining to the 2011 Student Freedom Riders.

 

So who were these students and what did they do? From May 6-16, 2011, 40 college students traveled with original Freedom Riders in retracing their 1961 Freedom Rides from Washington DC to New Orleans, LA. This site and its contents are the evidence of that trip. On the platform are essays, reflections, videos, and photos of the experience. Especially interesting were the videos, which offered a wealth of information on the students, original Freedom Riders, and the trip overall. This media ranges from video of recorded interviews with few voice-overs and photos to those videos with more of an even mix of the three formats (and many voices represented).

 

Although different because of participant’s background and experiences, many of the videos have similar structures. Much of the content is also personal – covering their reasons for becoming involved with the trip, what they were hoping to gain from the experience, and what they wanted to learn from the Civil Rights veterans.

 

Video possibilities

Populating the site are more than 100 web videos, some highlighting individuals, others, locations. Through the video content, we are introduced to the personalities – both young and old – that went on the 2011 Freedom Ride. Taken individually they all have engaging stories to tell, from a young woman from Haiti who wants to make a difference in the lives of women to a woman from Montana who draws inspiration from the story of the freedom riders and compares it to the challenges and injustice her Native American family members have faced as American citizens. Although created for commercial purposes (as this content was made in conjunction with a PBS documentary on the 1960s Freedom Riders), there is a great deal of accessible content that can be easily used to educate and inform. This aspect of the Freedom Riders webpage is especially interesting given the information’s proximity to additional historical content concerning the original freedom riders, accessible through the two tool bars near the top of the page. These various videos, photos, and essays, not to mention the background information – all contain small narratives. Weaving together and intersecting at surprising or important places, the video’s themes, meanings, and moments interact with and inform larger stories, the most pertinent being the African American Civil Rights movement. 

 

None of this however takes away from the immediacy of these short videos. Admittedly, some of the videos verge on anecdotal but even so, they still have power. One story was particularly striking. Straightforward and simple in its presentation, the video nevertheless packed a punch. Very much having what Alexander calls a “Gift of Voice,” Rachel DeMarce‘s video was primarily composed of an extended excerpt from a video interview. Discussing her family’s background and the importance of the 2011 Freedom Ride for herself and her grandmother, her video ends in the one and only photo featured in the video – one of Rachel, her mother, and her grandmother. Given insight into her daily life, I feel privileged to be able to listen, and find myself comparing my own experiences and viewpoints.

 

Meant to inform and uplift, these videos, much like the events they documented, are inspiring. Some solidly utilizing the serial form, these videos are obviously not meant to leave viewers off-balance or uncertain. Appealing to an inquisitive audience and hoping to engage viewers, the contents of the site pushes viewers to reflect or act.  

 

Freedom Riders and their links.

These web videos, fine-tuned and carefully presented through PBS, do not in themselves allow room for viewers to play – they cannot be manipulated or altered and comments are not incorporated. There is however, social media surrounding them. Explicitly stated on one of the main pages, various social media platforms are used to invite viewers to share the journey. Just looking at the site, I am able to comment. I see links to Twitter, Facebook, and a blog. These elements provide insight into the details and moments of the trip, especially in combination with the photos and text spread throughout the site. It is obvious the importance of this trip for participants. These links were extremely active during the time of the journey – a period of time that witnessed more than 130 videos, 150 essays, and multiple photo galleries – but have unfortunately not had much of an afterlife. This is something that Alexander points out can be a challenge for digital storytelling, the need to consistently improve, add, or maintain content. For instance, there is nothing that indicates what these students are currently up to nor if the impact of their experience is still felt today. This is information that I would love to know as the participant’s experiences seemed highly personal. So, in summing up my post, although not giving as much closure as it could, this site not only provides great web videos and digital narratives but also great pieces of history. 

 

 

Collaboration in the Digital Age

Over the last couple weeks, through the Public History and New Media course I am enrolled in, I have been surrounded by digital culture. Between discussing the possibility of digital media for LUMA’s upcoming exhibit, Crossings and Dwellings: Restored Jesuits, Women Religious, American Experience, 1814-2014 and a revamp of the Glessner House Museum, I have been not only been discussing the potential of new media but also been able to collaborate with peers on these projects.

There is a lot that can be said for collaboration – in all its forms. One of the reasons why I love the public history is that it is collaborate. No matter what project you are working on, where you are working on it, and who it is for, collaboration is essential. This collaboration can be with other historians and with the public. There is a great deal to remember – there are more opinions, ideas, viewpoints, and perspectives to juggle. This is not always easy to navigate as a project cannot take everything into account.

Also important are the skills and knowledge that individuals bring to the table. There is a dynamic that is created and a rhythm established within collaborations.

So… How did my recent collaborative ventures go? Fortunately, very well. The Glessner House in particular went smoothly. There were a few things that helped this along. Before beginning the remediation process, we met to discuss the project. Meeting in person provided clarification on a few things, and although this discussion could have been conducted by email, it was made much easier with all of us present. Deciding on specific goals, tasks, a timeline, and a webhost, we were able to immediately begin. Working together in the same space and consulting each other directly had its benefits. Responses were immediate and feedback easily given.

There is however something else to note about this process – the importance of picking the appropriate platform for the project at hand. There is always something to learn about social media. Given that the internet is a very responsive medium, there will continually be new ways to communicate and present information. And given time, the possibilities for a site’s appearance, use, and engagement increase. With weeks or a month of preparation, a lot can be planned and implemented to create a comprehensive and engaging site. A great thing about this project was the possibility to learn about many different host sites. One our group did not know much about but found particularly interesting was Wix. We debated the pros and cons but because of a few different reasons (time and distance being two of them), in the end decided to go with WordPress as this was a platform we knew well.

Our finished Glessner House Museum product.

I enjoyed working on this website. It really reinforced the idea that digital has changed a lot of things. It changes how we work, who we work with, and the speed and pace at which we work. For instance, distance is greatly affected by the digital and in this project in particular, was made much easier. Assigned over Spring Break, parts of my portion were done remotely, with any possible communication occurring through email. Even with many miles between myself and the other group members, work still got done.

Although regarding this as a blessing, there might also be parts of digital media that are difficult to manage when working collaboratively. Skills are something that immediately come to mind. I know that for me, collaborating with others and physically sharing space helps me learn. I enjoy having someone to personally interact with in the case of questions or problems.

However, taking all this into account, there are benefits to collaborating digitally. I have only begun to explore them, but if this experience was any indication, I know I have a lot to look forward to.

Rediscovering my Inner Child

In the assignment for this week, we are to select a site that falls under the definition of the “History Web” critique it. We are to examine it – to see how it works and how it doesn’t. We are also asked to think of it in terms of the “History Web,” Public History, and the Digital Humanities.

So… I had a lot of fun with this assignment. I had so much fun in fact, that my response to the prompt will be spread out over more than one post. So buckle up, although I am starting with one post, there will at least be one more following it up.

BBC School’s Primary History

The site I chose is the BBC School’s “Primary History” website. Standing for British Broadcasting Corporation, the channel is very similar to America’s PBS – Public Broadcasting Service – and offers television, radio, and online programming to the public. Much of the content is educational and strives to be impartial.

Now, onto the site itself. This site is GREAT. There are a lot of things I could talk about but to do that… you might be reading a paper instead of a blog post. So today, I will explore two aspects of the site: the importance of audience in the layout, format, and content of the website, and a related digital feature, interactivity. While discussing these topics, I will reference the Cohen and Rosenzweig’s Digital History text assigned for this week.

My first topic, audience, is something that as a public historian, I love to talk about. It is also something that this site excels at understanding. Geared towards students, teachers, and even parents, the core of the site’s content is to be used for educational purposes. Subjects are historical but related fields include literature, music, and archaeology (which further expands potential audience). The BBC’s choice of layout reinforces these priorities as the topics are prominently featured in the tool bar near the top of the page. They are also visually introduced through the use of fun graphics and cartoon imagery in the center of the page.

Snapshot of the “treasure drawer” which lays out, visually and textually, the main themes of the site.

This also gets to another point – something that Cohen and Rosenzweig really hit home with – a thoroughly integrated site is one that doesn’t just pair words and images together but harmonizes them.

Because of the illustrated nature of the homepage, and as you click through the site, it’s subsequent pages – the site intentionally appeals to young audiences with it’s comic-strip style and eye-catching (but I will add, not overwhelming) palette. An added surpise are the colors that animate the artifacts as you pull your mouse over the objects and text bubbles concentrated in the drawer.

Upon clicking one of the subjects – for instance, Vikings – it takes me into the Vikings index page. Before I go on though, here is what I am talking about:

Seen with this screenshot are the different activities for students and the portal for teaching resources

By entering into subject portals such as this, viewers are able to access numerous materials, much of them interactive. Kids can find games (where they can even tailor the visual experience through choosing layout and alignment preferences), photos, and videos. They can also learn about more specific aspects of Viking society. Want to learn about the roles of men and women? You can click to learn more.

One of my hands down, favorite parts of the site is the timeline feature. Placed under the title is a timeline that highlights significant dates, such as the first Viking Raid on England (787) and the Vikings landing in America (1001). Following the “Explore Timeline” link above that, you go to an additional timeline that places the Viking age in relation to other world cultures.

Do you think the Anglo-Saxons knew of the Vikings?

Taking it to a new level of interactive and referencing Shared Authority, you can even create your own event by clicking on the “My Events” button. I didn’t add one yet, but I most likely will my next visit to the site.

Appealing to teachers and adults in general, the site expands its audience.

However, this site does not purely attract students and kids as the well placed text for teachers attests. There are links for teaching resources and instructional aids on nearly every page you are directed to.

Contrary to Cohen and Rosenzweig, who caution against using shades of the same color or tonally similar colors, I would argue this approach actually works for the site – especially when thinking about the audience and the abundance of information presented.

The digital historians do have a point when referencing the use of bright colors. Something to remember about this site is that it is busy. There is a good deal going on (visually and textually) already so to add lots of bright and/or contrasting colors would be  entirely too much for some visitors.

While I am addressing this topic, other aspects of the design – primarily the dual columns of text and the strategic uses of text boxes to delineate related content were also helpful for me as a viewer. The text boxes set up a topic for which all items inside related. Take this closeup of a text box concentrating on Vikings homes.

By clicking on the different units, learners read about different parts of viking culture and daily life. Placing your mouse on the highlighted words provides further information for website visitors.

The method of presenting information – relating it visually but breaking it into units – is helpful for both students who need knowledge broken down and instructors who have to make sure that subject units are manageable for students to understand.

Clicking on the link for teachers resources, it is now obvious that this is the other intended audience. Traditional worksheets are offered as are online and classroom games, videos, pictures (of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional depending on the objects being discussed), sound bites, and external links. These pages essentially function as online syllabi. It is also easy to direct yourself from these teaching aids back to the more kid-friendly components.

One other great thing about this website is that the designers use every inch of the screen – they don’t waste space.

Although not the real desk… the image keeps the viewer engaged.

No matter what page you are on, they activate space and make it relate to the page’s text. The picture at right is the foot of the background for all pages relating to the topic of William Shakespeare.

Navigation is something I want to briefly mention here. A website, if anything, should navigable. Regardless of how much information it holds, if the visitor can’t move between pages, then as Cohen and Rosenzweig explain, they won’t stay very long. Using the snapshot below as an example, we can see the path I took as a visitor to get to the present page. This usability is a real strength of the site.

The path I took to visit my Viking neighbors.

If visitors want to learn more, additional links provide pathways to supplemental information. Below are two examples of external links to Viking history websites outside of the BBC (the site lists internal BBC links as well). The first is more theatrical while the second, more academic:

Anyone care to see a show?

Just as informative, but not as many outfits.

So… with all this excitement you might wonder, are there any drawbacks?

Yes, and unfortunately it could be a big one. For being a site that anticipates potential viewers, there are not many spaces for user feedback. After spending time with the website (way too much time probably), I could not find comment sections or other spaces for visitors to respond with their ideas, opinions, or compliments. Considering how impressive other aspects of the site are, this strikes me as a little strange; as a site that is not just a history site, but one whose purpose is so obviously connected to educating the public, there is no space for the audience to leave their impressions. This is where the sites interactivity falls frustratingly short.

In addition, much of the content created for the site is simple… perhaps too simple. For one of the “Fun Facts” on an information page, viewers read: “Foreign visitors were impressed by Benin’s police. They kept the city peaceful.” This statement glazes over a lot of information. Even though this is a site constructed for children, more information could have added complexity to this misleading vision of law & order.

This leads to a third criticism. The information presented is quite specific – students are given choices in activities and games – but much of the questions and content correspond to set narratives. At the conclusions of the games, connections are drawn for the players. What I am saying is, not a lot of space is created for students to draw their own connections. I wonder if this is related to their ages. As students in the younger to medium grades, they are either just learning about these skills or have not had the ability to practice them. Either way, this site could benefit from providing more opportunities to flex these growing scholarly muscles – particularly for those students using the site independently. When learning with others, this potential can be realized through personal interaction and instructor or peer support.

Acknowledging where it comes short, this is still a really good site. It is, as Cohen and Rosenzweig would define it, it is of the “history web.” It also is a public history site, and a website rooted in the Digital Humanities. Most important of all, there is something for everyone – regardless of your age.

The Lives of Images

Since completing the blog assignment for this week, I have been thinking about images. As a creator that is taking images from an outside source and manipulating them for my own purposes, am I changing their intention and meaning? What sort of additional significance is ascribed to images as they are being used? How does this correspond or conflict with their original purposes?

If I think about the longevity of some photos, I think of the intent of the photographer for taking the photo, the subject’s reasoning for having the photo taken, and the purposes for the image upon its production (by the photographer and the individuals in the photo). If this photo is passed to family members after the subject’s passing what sort of meaning is attached to the photo then? I suppose what I am getting at is the different lives that photos have depending on who and how they are used.

In my mash-up of the women, I used images from three different sources. Each image had a reason for being created and a story behind it. After playing around with the images and manipulating them, I asked myself how does my use change the nature of these images? How does editing change how the viewer sees and interprets the image?

For instance, if I go from this:

Thank you to Dr. Roberts and the Women and Leadership Archives for the original images.

To this:

Perhaps the bigger question is, am I respecting the original images and using them responsibly? I think though, that these questions are for another post at another time.

The Challenges of Photoshop

Thank you to Dr. Roberts and the Women and Leadership Archives for the images.

Do not get me wrong, I enjoy assignments where I get to be creative. As an undergraduate art major, my love of color, shape, form, and composition has come with me to Loyola. Not always able to use these skills, this was one blog post that I really looked forward to.

I have to admit however, that my experience with Photoshop was not smooth. This week, it was a challenge to master some of the tools of Photoshop and understand how I can use them. The multitude of tools and applications are inspiring – and overwhelming. The great thing that I discovered about the software was its flexibility. There is so much creative potential for users depending on interest, ability, and as I unintentionally discovered – their patience.

Public History is a creative field – even though it is based in the research and writing of sound historical scholarship, one trademark of the field is the space it provides practitioners to create engaging products for public use. Many of these products, such as exhibits, brochures, and even advertising, can be partially (or entirely) created in software like Photoshop. The flexibility of the program allows it to be tailored to many uses – which is good – especially since the field of Public History is flexible as well.  So, although I had moments of confusion, the software allowed me to create and manipulate images in way that would be very hard to do with physical materials. And in the end, I did have a lot of fun with this assignment.

Social Networking and Shared Authority

Created in 2010 by Nigerian student Gossy Akum as a educational social media site for high school and college students to provide them with free academic resource and a social network, Students Circle Network originally encouraged professor-to-student and peer-to-peer learning through the use of study groups and student participation and response. Experiencing rapid growth and achieving international recognition by 2012, Akum has been featured in Forbes and profiled on the massive news outlet Huffington Post as “Nigeria’s Budding Zuckerberg”.

Other than offering online courses and history resources, the possibilities for public history in a platform such as Students Circle Network is immense. For a field that is built on the relationship between academia and the public, Students Circle Network is a great vehicle upon which to investigate Public History and some of its core tenants – particularly that of Shared Authority (which I will get back to a little later in the post).

More in line with a Web 2.0 website, with elements of interactivity and engagement such as tags, an easy-to-use search engine, editor blogs and columns, tagging, student groups, and audience participation in the form of comments, it is a platform that offers knowledge in a range of fields including the arts, business, computing, engineering, humanities, languages, law, medicine, and the sciences.

One limitation of the site is its most recent history – nothing that I found upon searching had been posted within the last two years. By using the online archives Wayback Machine, I was able to chart the growth of the site. Looking at the social network at four different points in time between 2010 and 2014, the composition and language of the homepage allows insight into the different audiences that have used the site and how they might have interacted with it.

In July of 2010 the layout of the site was simple with a single portal to log in or register. Also seen are “about us”, “terms and conditions”, and “privacy policy” labels. Within six months however, the website appeared to expand. Explicitly offering to connect users with peers, lecturers and other resources, Students Circle Net intended to further its reach and expand its resources. With language that emphasized its educational potential and networking possibility, the homepage stated:

“Join Us today and have access to FREE HELP IN SCHOOL PROJECTS, FREE ACADEMIC RESOURCES, FRIENDS, NETWORKING, INTERACTION, JOBS, UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT, SCHOLARSHIPS to enhance your academics and education.”

Interviewed in 2011 and featured on Forbes.com, Ukanwoke stated that 10,000 resources were available online for free.

By 2012, the site had again evolved as traffic to the site seems to have increased. With separate log ins for students, teachers, and institutions, it is not a stretch to assume that perhaps the amount and range of users – individuals and organizations – had gone up. Sharing Ukanwoke’s claim of over 10,000 resources available for public use, it is nonetheless challenging to find much of that content. They are not visible in the drop down menus (in fact there are no drop down menus…) and I am only able to get to them through the use of the search bar. The only visible link to these resources is the “academics” label in the tool bar at the top of the page. This link only shares a portion of these resources as it takes users to the academic subjects but not the study groups, columns, or resources claimed on the home page.

I bring this up because of the nature of the internet. The different incarnations of the website, the awards and recognitions as well as the newspaper articles that cover its growth speak to the life of the website. To me they also speak of a website’s – in this case – a social network’s relevancy. In order to keep pace and respond to users needs, a platform needs constant attention, maintenance, and expansion to continue offering services or spaces that engage an audience. Without this change, can shared authority reach its full potential? It also brings to mind other questions such as, how much can the layout and organization of a website help – or hinder – the ability of a website to share information and interact with its audience, not to mention create an environment in which users feel comfortable to share and respond.

Which brings me back to Shared Authority and an educational social network’s ability to be used as a vehicle for Public History. Sharing scholarship and academic content, a forum such as this inherently advocates the idea that anyone can learn. It furthermore points to the fact that learning occurs at different paces. Perhaps most important of all – that learning occurs in environments outside the classroom and through various modes of communication.