Discusses issues about who "owns" history and the impact of the change from physical to digital (scanned or photographed) historical items on unbundling historic preservation, interpretation, and curation. Points out the differences between the traditional approach to handling historic items and the opportunities created by the introduction of web platforms. Includes examples, both positive and negative. Also raises a question about public entities copyrighting historic documents. Presented at O'Reilly's Boston Ignite 9 on March 29, 2012. The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DnDFOcwVMo. Current project: The History List (www.TheHIstoryList.com).

1. Why is it so easy to find this “history?”
Lee Wright at Ignite 9 in Boston on March 29, 2012: “History 2.0: Make History -- Save History”

2. http://www.watertowntreaty.org
But not this, our nation’s first treaty?
Mutual defense treaty between local tribes and “the Governors of the said State of
Massachusetts Bay and on behalf of said States, and the other United States of
America.” Signed on July 19, 1776

3. Learning about history helps us
understand the present
and shape the future.

4. We bought an old house and discovered . . .

5. . . . a much more interesting past.

6. Who owns “history?”
From the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society. L to
R: Paul Revere's deposition, draft, circa 1775; Paul Revere's
deposition, fair copy, circa 1775; Letter from Paul Revere to
Jeremy Belknap, circa 1798

7. Ownership = Physical possession = Control
Preservation + Interpretation + Curation

8. Preservation
preservearchives.tumblr.com
Curation
Interpretation
http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2008/05/ignite-boston.html
http://www.watertowntreaty.org
http://wolfwalker2003.home.comcast.net/~wolfwalker2003/wamp7.htm

9. Archives and library science
and finding physical items.
Systems and standards for organizing
http://bentley.umich.edu/refhome/tutorial/findingaids.php
http://isuspecialcollections.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/for-american-archives-month-an-online-tour-of-special-collections/

10. The Web and computer science
Platforms for sharing, creating, empowering.

11. An approach built on public involvement.
http://www.placeography.org from the Minnesota Historical Society

12. Sharing images you own in context.
http://www.WhatWasThere.com

13. Fulfilling their mission.
Digitize first and provide access to all.
Use a Creative Commons license.
Allow others to add value.

14. “ . . . very user friendly . . . we love it . . .”
http://www.museumsoftware.com

15. A “state-of-the-art” online experience.
http://osu.pastperfect-online.com/37573cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=60B9AAB0-21BA-4840-AE12-
823303395220;type=101

16. Should historic items be
copyrighted?

17. Speed the evolution.
Create better tools and platforms.
Adapt existing tools and platforms.

18. Be the revolution.
Digitize first and provide access to all.
Use a Creative Commons license.
Ask institutions to do the same.

20. Lee Wright
Lee@TheHistoryList.com
@TheHistoryList.com