Collection Connections is an action research project designed to explore the potential of new Web 2.0 technologies to engage and sustain interest in local heritage collections. A wiki platform that is hosted externally but which includes training and support for local participants provides opportunities to make heritage collections from rural and regional communities accessible online – as proposed via two other initiatives of the Collections Council: CollectionsCare, and the Australian Framework for Digital Heritage Collections.
With guidance from the History Trust of South Australia, and also from the State Library of South Australia, a suitable community collecting organisation has been identified to collaborate with the Collections Council in creating a pilot wiki implementation and advancing the Collection Connections project.
The Collections Council is delighted to announce that it is now working with the Mallala and Districts Historical Committee in regional South Australia. Mallala is about 75 km north of Adelaide, and is renowned for its wheat farming, WW2 RAAF training base, and contemporary focus on motorsport. The Committee operates a Museum that exhibits many aspects of the history of Mallala and Districts and has been officially registered with the History Trust’s Community Museums Program since July 2005. Six people from the Museum's volunteer Committee are involved directly with the wiki project.
The project is funded by the .auDA Foundation and the Collections Council. Mr Darren Peacock has been appointed as Project Manager.
The CEO and Project Officer of the Collections Council accompanied Mr Peacock to Mallala on Wednesday 25 March 2009 and attended a project team meeting. The occasion allowed the CEO to “hand over” the laptop and wireless broadband connection that’s been purchased for the Museum as part of the wiki project. The hand-over was covered by both the local district papers, The Bunyip (from Gawler) and the Plains Producer (from Balaklava).
Click HERE to read the Collections Council’s media release.
Click HERE to read the article in the
Plains Producer (1 April 2009).
The Mallala group is actively building a “practice” wiki and has commenced training in computer skills. Through consultation with the Mallala group, Mr Peacock is developing specifications for the design and structure of the final wiki site.
Click HERE to read a report on the project during the first quarter of 2009 (January to March).