Hidden Histories: Digitally Processing, Analyzing, and Visualizing Large Archives in Omeka

FAIN: HAA-269020-20

Georgia Tech Research Corporation (Atlanta, GA 30318-6395)
Todd Michney (Project Director: June 2019 to October 2023)
Brad Rittenhouse (Co Project Director: December 2019 to October 2023)

Development of plugins for the Omeka platform to enable large-scale text processing and data visualizations for digitized collections, using the Mayor Ivan Allen Digital Archive as one test case.

We are applying for an NEH grant to produce an Omeka plugin suite that leverages new visual and digital methodologies, enabling researchers and archivists to explore sizeable digital archives with minimal technical barriers. The resulting tool will allow users to produce key metadata and explore these archives by connecting the important entities they contain semantically and visually. It processes the entirety of a collection, so that queries return a more intuitive collection of significant entities within the collection, allowing users to navigate visually and semantically from an initial point of interest to all connected points in the archive. We have already produced a working prototype of the system, which Georgia Tech scholars are currently using for research. Primarily, the grant will provide us with time and resources to lead a team of Georgia Tech student researchers in the development of the platform.

Media Coverage

NEH Grant Advances Ivan Allen Archive Project at Georgia Tech (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Maria Saporta
Publication: Atlanta Business Chronicle
Date: 1/24/2020
Abstract: Press release/description of the project for the Atlanta business community
URL: http://https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2020/01/24/neh-grant-will-advance-ivan-allen-jrarchive.html

Ivan Allen College Archive Project Receives Nearly $100,000 from NEH (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Michael Pearson
Publication: Ivan Allen College Internal newsletter
Date: 1/15/2020
Abstract: Press release from college
URL: https://www.iac.gatech.edu/news-events/stories/2020/1/ivan-allen-college-archive-project-receives-nearly-100000-neh/631174

Associated Products

Revisiting and Archiving Civil Rights and Atlanta in the 1960s: Introducing the Mayor Ivan Allen Digital Archive (Exhibition)
Title: Revisiting and Archiving Civil Rights and Atlanta in the 1960s: Introducing the Mayor Ivan Allen Digital Archive
Curator: Todd Michney
Abstract: tba
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://www.library.gatech.edu/allen
Primary URL Description: The site created for the event launching the Digital Archive. The site also links to both the traditional and Archiviz interface for the archive.

Across the Folders (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Across the Folders
Director: Brad Rittenhouse
Director: Todd Michney
Producer: Charlie Bennett
Abstract: A publicity podcast in relation with the launch event for the Ivan Allen Digital Archive
Date: 4/1/2022
Primary URL: https://lostinthestacks.libsyn.com/episode-515-across-the-folders
Primary URL Description: Site serving the podcast interview.
Access Model: Open Access
Format: Digital File
Format: Web

Archiviz (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Archiviz
Author: Todd Michney
Author: Brad Rittenhouse
Abstract: The site showcasing the primary tool being developed. The tool utilized NER techniques to identify and visualize named entities in archival collections.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: http://allenarchive-dev.iac.gatech.edu/elasticsearch
Primary URL Description: The updated digital interface.
Access Model: open access

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