Digital Spotlight: Photo Archive

The PHOTO ARCHIVE at the American Center of Oriental Research contains thousands of photos from Jordan and the broader Middle East.

Contents: This photo archive includes images that represent Jordan’s past and present along with other photos from the Middle East. The project includes major archaeological and cultural heritage images.

Classroom Connections: The easy-to-use search tools provide easy access to the images. Users can search by theme, place, keywords, country, or collection. Use this collection for both social studies and humanities activities focusing on the Middle East region.

Featured Digital Objects:
Petroglyphs (search Rock Drawings)
Jane Taylor Collection (search Collection name)
Linda K. Jacobs Collection (search Collection Name)

To visit the collection, go to https://acor.digitalrelab.com/.

Technology Review: Endangered Archives Programme

The ENDANGERED ARCHIVES PROGRAMME from the British Library is a global project focusing on preservation of archival material.

Dozens of countries have participated in this project that helps preserve endangered historical materials. Grants are used to provide financial assistance. Users can access ten years of projects by year or by country. The collections include a wide variety of primary source documents including wills, contracts, correspondence, diaries, maps, and other materials.

Librarians will find this website to be a unique way to talk with students about the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Connect this website with a social studies project focusing on the culture of a particular country. Ask students to explore the digitized items from one of the dozens of countries represented in the project. Then, connect the primary source materials with the country’s history.

To visit the website, go to https://eap.bl.uk/.

Technology Review: Digital Public Library of America

The DIGITAL PUBLIC LIBRARY OF AMERICA is a portal that brings together resources from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States.

This website provides access to digital objects related to cultural heritage. The easy-to-use search engine contains both basic and advanced tools for locating items. One of the innovate aspects of the website is the ability to browse millions of items by timeline, map, format, subject, and partner.

The Exhibitions section uses digital objects to tell stories of national significance. Nearly three dozen thematic exhibits are available on topics such as urban parks, race tot he moon, and prohibition.

The Map section allows users to click on a US map to zoom into regional, state, and local digital objectives. The Timeline permits visitors to zoom in on resources related to a specific year or decade.

The Education area provides teaching and learning resources for educators including primary source sets.

The App Library extends the experience by providing a variety of tools to visualize and use digital resources.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent springboard for activities focusing on primary sources, history, and culture. Use the primary source sets and exhibitions to engage students in fascinating documents related to historical themes.

To visit the website, go to https://dp.la.