Outreach Beyond the Basics: Finding Innovative Ways to Connect Users to Digital Collections Assets

Creating engaging digital collections goes beyond robust metadata and user-friendly interfaces. Connecting our collections to user groups means finding new ways to make the raw data relevant in unexpected ways. This session will explore ways the Baylor University Digital Projects Group has created programming, outreach opportunities and graduate-level courses based on its Digital Collections. Attendees will learn the process for creating public events (a concert and an art exhibit), a multi-disciplinary collaboration (a Civil War game/app for middle school students) and a graduate course on digitization and archival technology. Curator of Digital Collections Eric S. Ames has been at the center of planning and executing each of these projects and will share tips and strategies for mining existing digital assets for unique outreach opportunities.