The mobile future of place‐based digital collections

Abstract

The University of Vermont is working to present the images comprising the Long Trail Collection through mobile technologies, providing an opportunity to enhance trail hikers' experience with historical views and background information. The collection, held by the University's Center for Digital Initiatives, includes over 900 slides from 1912–1937. With geospatial metadata linked to Google maps, one can use a smartphone to identify a location and access place‐based images from the collection to appreciate the location's rich historical context. Since October 2010, the originators have worked on building the application using Apple's development suite and virtual phone and collaborated with others on the app design. The potential for other intersections of historical information and real time, place‐based experiences presented through mobile technologies, is promising. The app being developed for the Long Trail Collection can serve as a model and practical teaching tool. Recollection, an open source software toolkit, supports collection displays and integrated metadata. It is hoped that librarians and digital collection managers will take advantage of these resources to support mobile development initiatives.