1. Making heritage more engaging Using Web 2.0 to connect heritage and people Janet E. Davis

2. Brief background: my work Includes: Web Manager, Parks & Gardens Data Services, 2006 – 2009 Freelance work with NEMLAC including –Promoting NE museums, libraries and archives online resources –Sharing digital skills Newcastle Collection pilot project – Local Studies, Newcastle Libraries, 2004 Leader of Tyneside Life & Times project for Newcastle Libraries, one of the SoPNE (Sense of Place North East project consortium, including Tyne & Wear Museums, Gateshead Libraries and Northumberland Archives) 2002 – 2004 English Heritage More info at: http://web.me.com/jedavis/Janet_E_Davis/http://web.me.com/jedavis/Janet_E_Davis/

3. Project aims Encouraging volunteers to research & record Collating information from other sources Creating database web site educational resources

4. Specific project aims 6,000 records of sites in England & Wales 1,000 records of sites in Scotland & Northern Ireland References records Archives sources Associated Person records Associated Organisation records Digital images & digital image records 20 themed educational resources

5. Who involved? Parks & Gardens Data Services –not-for-profit company set up by: IT contractor hosting service Supported by and Volunteers

6. Using free web resources developing content 1

7. Using free web resources developing content 2

8. Who involved? Stakeholders Advisory Panel Experts include representatives from: English Heritage RCAMHW Hampshire County Council Consultative Group Volunteers organisations - NADFAS, County Gardens Trusts, NCCPG Universities Culture 24

9. Who is it for? ExpertsNon-experts Site owners/managersArchaeologistsHistorians Heritage professionalsPlanning professionalsDesign professionals HE & FE studentsLife-long LearnersUK schoolchildren General publicVolunteersTourists

10. Accessibility issues - physical and technological Front end of web site Needed to allow for: people with disabilities, especially with visual impairments, including colour blindness; slow dial-up internet access older hardware and software

11. Database interface

12. Intellectual accessibility - navigation Providing methods to access the database records that do not require: prior knowledge of historic parks & gardens; knowledge of UK geography or local authority areas; good spelling or high level of literacy. Building a semantic bridge using navigation

13. Find records

14. Map-based Search

15. Intellectual accessibility - images Building a semantic bridge using description People read pictures according to what they know. Need to describe what is where. What is obvious to one expert will not be obvious to another from a different discipline. Accessibility for visually-impaired.

16. Intellectual accessibility - writing style Building a semantic bridge using writing style Using plain English or providing explanations of specialist terms Abbreviations and acronyms written in full. Friendly but objective style. Concise, short sentences.

17. Controlled vocabulary Example of early controlled vocabulary list for terms to describe the context or principal building for historic parks and gardens.

18. The Thesaurus within the database

19. Data entry form - Context

20. Illustrated Glossary

21. Illustrated Glossary - Front End

22. Front end content editor Next stage - letting volunteers add their own articles from the front end.

23. Twitter – janetedavis List Museums

24. Twitter – janetedavis List For_tourists_in_UK

25. Conclusion Using Web 2.0 enables: Audience feedback Audience participation Building resources people use Sustainable interest And Encourages proactive participation in heritage/culture. www.parksandgardens.ac.uk