Investigative Curation through Augmented Reality
The
ILiADS 2018
The Augmented Archives Project
Teaching and learning with primary resources through Augmented Reality technology.
"Imagine walking into a space filled with unknown objects. The walls are covered with photographs. Artifacts are sitting in cases on display. Rare books are under a Lucite cover...
... and while you yearn to turn the pages of the book to see what follows, it is sadly locked under the case, stuck on pages 233-234. If only these objects could come to life and tell their stories!"
Fueled by student research, the Augmented Archives Project presents an opportunity for students to curate exhibits of historic artifacts and significant objects. These exhibits come to life using augmented reality technology to make rare documents, fragile artifacts and curator commentary videos accessible to exhibit visitors.
The Augmented Archives Project is a collaboration between the Washington College Archives and Washington College’s Academic Technology Department—marrying the primary source materials in our Special Collections with the technological and instructional resources in Academic Technology.
In spring of 2018, we are moving our project into a new phase. This next phase will have two components: developing new prototypes that explore AR authoring beyond end-user applications and constructing a resource website to share best practices for incorporating AR into primary source instruction. We are actively exploring ways to solve the sustainability problems institutions face in using end-user platforms to create AR content. Stay tuned as we update our progress.
AR in Action
AR in Action
AR in Exhibit
Aurasma in Action
AR in Gallery
Project Timeline
Overview of the Augmented Archives Project to date:
Summer/Fall 2015
Research & Development
Assessed different AR platforms, taught student Archives Assistants how to utilize the technology and solve challenges
Spring 2016
Exhibit Prototyping
Created prototypes of AR exhibits with student Archives Assistants
Fall 2016
Voices From the Grave 1.0
Students curate personal exhibits as part of the instructional sequence of their First Year Seminar course, Voices From the Grave
Spring 2017
Breakout Session at ACRL conference
Presented project at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) conference
Summer 2017
Washington’s Secret History 2.0
Incoming freshmen co-curated an AR-enhanced exhibit
Fall 2017
Voices From the Grave 2.0
Students curated personal exhibits as part of the instructional sequence of their First Year Seminar course, Voices From the Grave
Spring 2018
Instructional Sessions
Presented Augmented Archives as a case-study for the study of history in other faculty members’ courses
Summer 2018
PocketMuseum
Developed PocketMuseum App Prototype in preparation for ILiADS 2018.
Spring 2016
SANDBOX grant
Wrote grant to collaborate to explore AR in special collections - awarded SANDBOX grant
Summer 2016
Washington’s Secret History 1.0
Incoming freshmen co-curated an AR-enhanced exhibit; first Augmented Archives student-curated exhibit
Fall 2016
Archives Fair at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Shared project with representatives from multiple archives and special collections institutions
Summer 2017
Talking Portraits of Washington College
Incoming freshmen participated in an AR scavenger hunt, scanning paintings and portraits hanging throughout campus which “come to life” and share their connections to the college
Summer/Fall 2017
Augmented Archives SANDBOX Exhibit
The results of student work from previous projects and our own work became part of the culminating exhibit for our SANDBOX grant. The exhibit was held in the campus art gallery.
Presented curator’s lecture attended by faculty, administrator and community stakeholders at exhibit opening
Fall 2017
Archives Fair at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Shared project with representatives from multiple archives and special collections institutions, hosted break-out session about the project
Summer 2018
Library Go!
Wrote chapter for the forthcoming book Library Go!: Augmented Reality in Libraries Published by Rowman and Littlefield slated for release in June 2018
What we hope to accomplish this week:
What we hope to accomplish this week:
PocketMuseum
App
Tech Stuff:
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Photogrammetry!!!!!
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How to get rid of blue boxes/yellow dots in ARkit.
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How to implement multiple "rooms" (scenes) in an AR app.
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How to implement clickable buttons in app.
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How to collaborate in Unity.
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How to best deploy PocketMuseum & push updates as needed.
Philosophical/Access/Legal Stuff:
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Safety disclaimer
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ADA accessibility
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GDPR
Augmented Archives Website
Document Project:
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Show progression of Augmented Archives. Document project stakeholders "in action".
Roadmap for Others:
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How-to videos for others to follow & create their own apps.
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Lesson Plans: investigative curation lessons
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Links to other projects?
Asset Management/Archive:
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Link to our current system D-Space?
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Explore Omeka
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Link this site to a repository.
Ongoing Research:
Sustainability for Small Institutions as Early Adopters of Emerging Technologies
Though end-user AR authoring platforms are attractive because they are often cost effective, easy to use, and supported across multiple smartphone devices (iOS & Android). , they are problematic because institutions using them to create AR content are at the mercy of the longevity and decision-making of the platforms' parent companies. Essentially, when you are working with an emerging technology, things change. This can be challenging for small institutions that invest a lot of time, energy and financial resources into creating AR content only to have the platform that hosts that content to implement dramatic changes, or worse--cease to exist entirely.
We are currently in the process of exploring the development of a home-grown AR application and/or the development of a "survival guide" of sustainability strategies for institutions who are early-adopters of emerging technologies to help preserve the significant work it takes to develop thoughtfully designed AR content and instructional sequences.
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Above: View from our prototype app -- PocketMuseum by Washington College. The app launches a virtual exhibit that a viewer can experience by quite literally walking through the virtual gallery. Viewers can look at items in virtual cases and watch curator commentary videos on a virtual television screen.
PocketMuseum App
ILiADS
Adventures
ILiADS
Adventures
Archives students explore the Getty Museum from the perspective of a wheelchair. This empathy-building exercise helped these future museum professionals gain insight into exhibit design and consider how AR can help with access & accessibility
Archives students explore the Getty Museum from the perspective of a wheelchair. This empathy-building exercise helped these future museum professionals gain insight into exhibit design and consider how AR can help with access & accessibility
Faith and our Liaison Spencer working on photogrammetry
Archives students explore the Getty Museum from the perspective of a wheelchair. This empathy-building exercise helped these future museum professionals gain insight into exhibit design and consider how AR can help with access & accessibility
What we Accomplished!
PocketMuseum
App
Tech Stuff:
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Our liaison Spencer taught us how to use photogametry on objects from our special collections.
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We disabled the yellow dots and blue rectangles!
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We implemented a second room in our museum
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Next step will be curation!
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We were able to add buttons to move from room to room.
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Currently working on adding buttons to further explore items and introduce captions.
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We set up a team on Unity and are exploring how to use this function to our advantage
Philosophical/Access/Legal Stuff:
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Discussing language of a safety disclaimer with a Contract Lawyer.
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Traveled to the Getty Museum to explore accessibility in a brick and mortar museum.
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Working on the best height for pedestals and how to make captions and videos accessible for all.
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Augmented Archives Website
Document Project:
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Between this site and our Omeka site you can follow our progress
Roadmap for Others:
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Tutorials and Lesson Plans will be coming soon
Asset Management/Archive:
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We are currently uploading records from our collection to our Omeka site.
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Link coming soon!
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Meet The Team
Faith Stahl '19
Faith is a Washington College Presidential Fellow and Archives Assistant who began working in the Washington College Archives after
participating in an Augmented Archives sub-program, “Washington’s Secret History.” A History major and Art History minor, she has contributed to the Washington College Archives by creating a database of digital portraits found on campus and organizing alumni files from the
1800s. She leads the digitization of artifacts for the next phase of the Augmented Archives project.
Olivia Diaz
'19
Olivia is a Washington College Student Archives Assistant. She is an American Studies major with an eye for organizing information and
curating artifacts. She gained related curatorial experience as an
exhibition intern at the National Constitution Center. will serve as our historical research coordinator. She leads the cataloging and
organization of the digitized content produced through this project and
is charged with curating the resource website.
Sarah Graff '18
Sarah is a recent graduate of Washington College with a degree in History, and a minor in Theatre; and has been the student lead in the Augmented Archives Project since its inception. The former Head
Archives Assistant at Washington College, she has experience in
reference, research, preservation, digitization, appraisal and deaccession.
Sarah serves as a digital research consultant, based on her expertise
with converting rare objects and ephemera into digital formats.
Raven Bishop NBCT
Raven is an Instructional Technologist at Washington College and National Board Certified Visual Arts Educator with over 10 years of experience in project-based curriculum and instructional design. She is
our resident AR expert and has a strong background in graphic design and multimedia production. She guides the pedagogical considerations of the project. She also serves as the principle developer of the PocketMuseum app prototype and oversees the creation of the resource website.
Heather Calloway Ed.D.
Heather is the Archives and Special Collections Librarian at Washington College. She has17 years of archival and museum experience with a focus on preservation and exhibition of material culture artifacts. She guides our primary source research instruction with best practices in archival research and curation both in the classroom and in individual research.