I’m happy to spend some time with people who’d like to learn more about RRCHNM’s open-source digital repository and exhibit builder, Omeka.  I can walk people through how to set up their own Omeka installations, how to create an exhibit, discuss things to consider when using it, etc.

What Is Omeka from Omeka on Vimeo.

At the first THATCamp NCPH, two years ago, we brainstormed the Public History Commons into existence. By this time last year, we’d created the site and launched the History@Work blog on it. At this point, we’re seeing lots of new possibilities coming into focus, but they’re still pretty inchoate, and I’d love to see a session at this year’s THATCamp that moves our thinking along a bit more. Specifically, I’d like to think about how we might use the Commons to house, pull in, aggregate, or otherwise connect to the wide range of digital and perhaps other work being done around the public history field: “gray literature,” blogging, web-based projects, apps, mapping, individually-created digital archives, so much more.

• What role should NCPH envision for itself in relation to all of this work?
• How can we (or should we) respond critically to it, including through published reviews and awards?
• What additional digital tools would we need to incorporate into the Commons to make this work? (For example, I’ve recently built a little baby version of a Library area, but it’s obvious that this needs to sit on a much more sophisticated platform so we can actually catalog things – but before we do that, I think we need to figure out exactly how we’re hoping this area of the Commons might function within the field as a whole.)

I’d welcome discussion about this at THATCamp NCPH, perhaps along with broader conversations about digital publishing, reviewing, collecting of scholarly and other materials, etc.

On Thursday, April 18 at 8:30 a.m. in Ballroom A, I have the pleasure of joining Erin Bell, Jeffrey McClurken, and Tom Scheinfeldt in a discussion of how public historians are using and adapting WordPress software to teach, disseminate, and do public history. The types of issues we’d like to discuss range from practical basics (e.g., what plug-ins have you found useful) to deeper implications (e.g., how do the digital platforms we use influence the production of history).

In addition to the pre-conference conversation taking place on History@Work (please comment!) and the session itself, I’d like to propose a THATCamp NCPH session along similar lines.

For instance, we’ve recently started using EditFlow with our WordPress-based project, a re-envisioned collaborative state encyclopedia called  ConnecticutHistory.org. And I’d love to hear from others who are using this or other tools to manage the content development workflow within WordPress rather than external to it. For example, until recently, our editing and finalization of entries took place in MicroSoft Word and material wasn’t brought into WordPress until it was complete save for images. There are pros and cons to both approaches, particularly if one is managing external authors who are not familiar with WordPress or if the internal project team is hesitant to grant backside access to outside contributors.

So, if your public history project or course uses WordPress software—or if you’ve been wondering if it might work for your needs—let me know if a session along these lines is of interest.