Description: When I started working with museums in 2005, the concept of crowdsourcing was in its infancy. That year, James Surowiecki ‘s book, “The Wisdom of Crowds,” was published and there were tiny experiments in crowdsourcing occurring in the cultural heritage sector. There were hesitations and objections about the whole concept within the GLAM (gallery, library, archive, museum)
Description: A salamander, the axolotl, found in Mexico that once numbered in the 6000s/square kilometer is now down to 35. [via Scientific American]As we know, the Biodiversity Heritage Library has a lot of gorgeous images of natural specimen, in fact over 2 million of them, and it includes some from the Archives! [via Open Culture]Beatles fans, John Lennon's stolen diary was recovered by
Description: Beautiful new publication, Picturing Children, challenging stereotypes about African American children. [via NY Times]Now THIS is a 360...of Apollo 11! [via Smithsonian Magazine]Why not go big? Check out the first 3-D print of a supernova! [via Chandra X-ray Observatory and Smithsonian 3D]Archivist resource alert! The Getty's updated Introduction to Metadata. [via the
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_14760,size=200,left] On July 1, 2016, the current National Air and Space Museum (NASM) building, covered with a Tenessee pink marble façade and recessed glass bays, celebrated its 40th anniversary. For this, NASM reopened its central exhibition, the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall, and hosted various events including greetings from Mars and from
Description: From April 7-18, 2014, JA Pryse was in residence with the Smithsonian Institution Archives fulfilling the Smithsonian Affiliations Visiting Professional Program fellowship awarded in January of this year. Over the information packed two weeks a number of innovative digital processes were gathered which are valuable to the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division’s present
Description: Lord of the Rings fans! A newly-discovered map annotated by Tolkien. [via Open Culture]A last call for Archives Month to contribute your stories and memories of gardens and gardening to the Community Gardens digital archive. [via Smithsonian Gardens]Gorgeous fly-throughs of 17th Century London before The Great Fire from a talented group of students at De Montfort University. A
Description: Each week, the Archives features a woman who has been a groundbreaker at the Smithsonian, past or present, in a series titled Wonderful Women Wednesday.
Description: Breathing new life into medieval manuscripts at Bodelain Library. [via Adam Koszary/Medium]Over 600 new rights-free videos and other media showing embryos, robots, and bouncing water droplets! [via Wikimedia Open Access Report]The Smithsonian is gathering thought leaders in environmental and species conservation on Earth Day for their 1st Earth Optimism Summit, and our own Pam
Description: As we digitize the Archives’ collections to make them available online, I am constantly being exposed to handwriting from the past two centuries. As a result, I have a deeper appreciatiation of how many different things influence the way a person’s writing appears on the page, things beyond the quality of their penmanship. Writing on the deck of a ship, on horseback or on