Are you interested in linking data across geographic lines?
In January of 2017, RootsandRecall.com hit new heights of membership and viewer usage, ones never envisioned by the founders. One of the reasons we believe this has come to fruition, is the means to which R&R goes to see the site’s pages are as accurate and inclusive as possible. Yes, there is an academic edge to the website and we encourage professional input to build the website. Local historians, historical societies and museums are keepers of our cultural knowledge and it is up to you to insure accuracy remains at the forefront of R&R’s pages. R&R’s statewide board of advisers, when meeting earlier this year, strongly suggested the website’s capital strength lay in its level of accuracy. Your academic input is vital to sustaining this respect!
Besides the preservation of data from multiple sources, just as vital is the interpretation, and linking of the contributions data. One way R&R has begun doing this is through its History Thread icon program, a very simple means of clicking on a thread icon and being redirected to a secondary page, one that has a direct impact on the story being told on the initial page. As you might imagine this is a great tool to tell a fuller story and one that enhances the user’s experience and knowledge. Though Roots and Recall tells S.C.’s stories, the state and its history far exceed a few state lines. What can you envision linking R&R’s pages to perhaps in Texas or Arkansas? We think this is an extremely important aspect of telling S.C.’s story across the nation – a story all to often misunderstood or untold. What connections are you familiar with in your community?
R&R needs individuals from all over the state to assist in helping link pages and tell the Palmetto state’s stories. So, the next time you are doing research on the website and think of another R&R page it should be linked with, or one in another county or state, take a minute and help! A very easy way in which you can suggest links within your own community as well as across geographic lines; is to open each site on your browser. Simply copy the URL of the site you want linked (the second site-page), to the comments section of the initial R&R site which you want the information linked to. Post the URL as a comment at at the bottom of the page and send it as a comment to R&R, we will review it and build the suggested History Thread to and from the two suggested pages.
Every community has their own unique story but it is also impacted by outside forces, these links help tell that story and enhance local appreciation of architecture and heritage.
Have you linked your institution’s website to RootsandRecall.com?
Academic Engagement @ RootsandRecall.com – 1.2.17
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