INTERFACE, by apidays - APIs: the next 10 years June 8, 9 & 10 2022 Spreading Education through APIs Rayvn Manuel, Senior Application Developer at Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History & Culture ------------ Check out our conferences at https://www.apidays.global/ Do you want to sponsor or talk at one of our conferences? https://apidays.typeform.com/to/ILJeAaV8 Learn more on APIscene, the global media made by the community for the community: https://www.apiscene.io Explore the API ecosystem with the API Landscape: https://apilandscape.apiscene.io/ Deep dive into the API industry with our reports: https://www.apidays.global/industry-reports/ Subscribe to our global newsletter: https://apidays.typeform.com/to/i1MPEW

1. Reinventing Storytelling with APIs
the journey begins
Rayvn Manuel

2. 2022 SERIES OF EVENTS
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JULY
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SEPTEMBER
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APRIL
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MARCH
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DECEMBER
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OCTOBER
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AUGUST
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MAY
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3. The Conversation
▪ About….
▪ The Landscape
▪ Making a way…
▪ Pioneers
▪ Next Steps & //TODOs
▪ Qs?

4. About…

5. the Smithsonian Institution
The U.S. Senate passed the act organizing the Smithsonian
Institution which was signed into law by President James K. Polk on
August 10, 1846.
The Smithsonian is made up of 21 museums, 21 libraries, the
National Zoo, numerous education and research centers, including
the Smithsonian Astrophysics Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and
Smithsonian Science Education Center.
https://www.scottclowney.com/following/scottclowney.com/Museums-Galleries
https://images.app.goo.gl/kF5sxDY1S7D3k8a86
The Smithsonian Institution [si.edu] was established with funds from James
Smithson, a British scientist who left his estate to the United States to found
“at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an
establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

6. the National Museum of African American
History & Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture [NMAAHC – nmaahc.si.edu ] is
the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life,
history, and culture.
The museum was established by an Act of Congress in 2003 and was opened to the public on
September 24, 2016, as the 19th and (and at that time) newest museum of the Smithsonian
Institution. We exist to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans..
https://www.scottclowney.com/following/scottclowney.com/Museums-Galleries
https://images.app.goo.gl/kF5sxDY1S7D3k8a86
“This Museum will tell the American story
through the lens of African American history
and culture. This is America’s Story and this
museum is for all Americans.“
- Lonnie Bunch
Founding Director

7. Me
& why I have the honor of speaking to you
Sworn in on 9 January 2017, I serve as the Senior Application
Developer | Architect and DevOps engineer for NMAAHC.
As the principle application developer, I serve as technical consultant
and primary implementer of the smaller in-gallery interactives that
may be part of the larger exhibitions.
I spend a sizeable portion of my duty day researching ways to
repurpose emerging technologies to enhance the visitor experience.
This journey starts when the museum reached it’s fifth birthday.

8. The Landscape

9. Smithsonian 2022
Founding mission and purpose: the
Institution exists for "the increase and
diffusion of knowledge"
Our vision: Greater Reach, Greater
Relevance, Profound Impact

10. Strategic Goals
1. Be One Smithsonian.
2. Catalyze new conversations and address complex challenges.
3. Reach 1 billion people a year with a digital-first strategy.
4. Understand and impact 21st century audiences.
5. Drive large, visionary, interdisciplinary research and scholarly projects.
6. Preserve natural and cultural heritage while optimizing our assets.
7. Provide a nimble, cost-effective, responsive administrative infrastructure.

11. Goal 3: Reach one billion people
How will we achieve this?
▪ We will...develop emerging
museum-related digital
technologies.
▪ We will create new digital
platforms …to better access
Smithsonian collections,
research, and education
resources.
Photo by Rob Curran on Unsplash

12. Making a Way…

14. the Requirements
A digital product:
▪ Be Accessible and surface the
collections via a public interface
▪ Code Once (or maybe twice)
▪ Be Secure, Adaptable, Flexible,
Adaptable
▪ Serve technology-diverse
stakeholders
▪ Delight the visitor
Photo by Neil Thomas on Unsplash

15. Current State
▪ Digitization of collection objects
▪ Collection Management Systems
▪ Disparate datastores: objects, images,
graphics
▪ Problematic accessibility compliance
Photo by marianne bos on Unsplash

16. Pioneers

17. First steps
Smithsonian-wide Digitization Project
Hirshorn/Smithsonian Hi
SI Open Access Project
Unit-level Open Access Projects
Photo by Angela Buttafoco on Unsplash

18. Making a way cont’d
NMAAHC Searchable Museum

19. Next Steps & //TODOs
▪ NCARSI A11Y collaborative project
▪ Interactive Management Platform
▪ Transforming static museum spaces

20. Questions??

21. Reinventing Storytelling with APIs
the journey begins
Rayvn Manuel