We were talking yesterday about the purpose of our Morningside Heights historical Web site. What is the overarching vision or the story we are trying to tell? How do we impart any kind of vision to users? One suggestion was that we include narrative elements–for example each compiler of a collection could include an essay about the materials gathered in that collection.
In my sampling of Sites Using Omeka, therefore, I was on the lookout for sites that had a strong narrative bent. The one that I find most versatile and appealing is Frontier to Heartland: Making History in Central North America, created by the Newberry Library, Chicago. The title of the site already advises us that a story is being told. And the title is followed by an entirely clear statement of scope and purpose of the site: “Based on the world-renowned collections of the Newberry Library in Chicago, ‘Frontier to Heartland’ offers access to historical primary sources, scholarly perspectives on the past, and resources to help you use the site.”
One component in “Frontier to Heartland” is called “Perspectives: Essays with a Point of View.” These are enormously helpful as a way of approaching the materials on the site. Very accessible, but not simplistic, accompanied by judiciously selected illustrations, these “Perspectives” essays offer the user a range of options for thinking about and exploring the materials on the site. The image Galleries are thematically grouped with some commentary on each theme. For users who want simply to explore images on their own, there is an Images module, in which the images can be sorted by date, place, etc. What I like here is the versatility. There is a combination of guided modules and user-controlled modules.
In a Web environment that can surround us with endless compilations of images and information, items and exhibits, it is often possible for the user to feel like Ruth amid the alien corn. When a site is nicely conceived and managed, as “Frontier to Heartland” is, it provides crucial elements of orientation and perspective. These are needed if a wide range of users are going to find meaningful ways of approaching the materials. I consider those elements of orientation and perspective to be the digital equivalent of a familiar analog object–the humble Welcome Mat.
