Tomorrow (Saturday April 12th) the Library of Congress becomes more interactive and more hands-on than ever before. According to their website this new website will allow:
- Artifacts like the Waldseemüller map (the first to include the name “America”), the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the Gutenberg Bible and original volumes from Thomas Jefferson’s Library will be virtually at your fingertips. You’ll be able to flip through their pages, magnify sections of interest and access commentary from the Library’s top experts-all on the same touch screen.
As was reported in an article in ars technica this new interactive component to the website was made possible by Microsoft as a way to promote their program Silverlight which is described by Microsoft as a "…a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web." Despite whatever views you might have about Microsoft (good or bad), I urge you to stop by the new site and see how technology is changing the future for archives.
RSM
Ancient History Ramblings 