Get Connected

Last Thursday marked my last day as an intern at the Congregational Library. It has proven to be one of the single most valuable experiences I have had since embarking upon my education in Library Science.

My time here was spent creating a digital exhibit featuring the Emily C. Wheeler and Ingrid Anderson Memorial Scrapbook. The scrapbook documents the missionary work of Emily C. Wheeler and Ingrid Anderson. Prepared by Mrs. Anderson's daughter Bertha, it contains photographs, correspondence, and other ephemera related to their activities in Turkey and India, and the many children they helped.

From the beginning, it was very important to me that the object's original format be preserved as much as possible. For this reason, I incorporated an image slider so that viewers may examine the scrapbook page by page.

In addition, image maps have been embedded in pages that contain items that are not readily visible. For instance, the scrapbook contains several pages that include items such as folded sheets of paper and pieces of correspondence that have been tucked into envelopes. The use of image maps makes it possible to maintain the integrity of the scrapbook as it was originally created, while also allowing remote users to view the enclosed items as they would if they were handling the scrapbook itself.

When a user hovers over an item on the page, he or she will be prompted to click on it:

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After doing so, an enlarged detail of what is contained inside appears:

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I also prepared an instructional guide so that the library's staff may easily recreate this process to digitize more scrapbooks in the future. It is my hope that the contribution I made this semester has been as beneficial to the library and its staff members as it has been for me.

Thank you!
-Rebecca

The Emily Wheeler Scrapbook will be available on our digital exhibit site soon. Keep an eye out for an announcement on this blog, and in the meantime check out the exhibits we completed over the past year.

--Robin