Source Photo: Frank Linnenbach and Dr. Lucas Burkart
At the theme evening “Digital History - From Data to Storytelling”, exciting ideas for the future of historiography in the digital world were discussed.
Here are some of what I believe are key points from Dr. Lucas Burkart (University of Basel, Department of History):
- Libraries and collections are changing their role
Instead of just preserving information, they now make it freely available to be used and further developed by everyone.
- Active engagement is key
In order to present our cultural heritage digitally, we need an active engagement with the collections. These must be reorganised and made visible.
- Technology as an aid
Various technologies can help expand our understanding of history and enable new perspectives. We should be conscious of the possibilities and limitations of these technologies.
- Dialogue is necessary
Close collaboration between humanities scholars and technology experts is crucial to turning data into living stories and generating new knowledge.
- Different accesses
In order to arouse interest and not overwhelm, different presentation methods should be offered. The vision is not to collect data centrally, but to bring it together as told stories from different sources.
- Possible approaches could look like this:
CURIOSITAS 5.0 / Museum Faesch – A chamber of art and wonder as a place of digital wonder
- However, they can also look like this:
Research and archives – indexing and accessibility rethought
From the perspective of Dr. Lucas Burkart to be exciting and participatory. In my view, it must be a common goal to make the past accessible to everyone and to provide new insights into our cultural heritage.
Or to put it in the words of Remigius Faesch and Dr. Lucas Burkard: “When the collection becomes a museo!”
Thank you Dr. Lucas Burkart for your inspiring talk. I was happy to take your exciting insights and food for thought with me, they still have an impact today.
The discourse continues, thanks for the discussions afterwards: Dr. Lukas Burkart, Martin Reisacher, Noah Regenass, Kreyenbuehl Elias, Ina S., Tamara Hügli, Irene Amstutz, Silke Bellanger, Nathalie Baumann