Project Description
The Encyclopedia of Milwaukee is entering a new phase, working creatively to improve access to the content users need to enhance their knowledge of Milwaukee history. Students will be able to help us with a number of new initiatives. Chief among these is a digital platform for collecting and publishing student-curated historical documents, images, maps, and other compelling sources. This new site, Documenting Milwaukee (DMKE), will offer students opportunities to explore a variety of sources and develop the ability to judiciously select those that best speak to particular issues. Through the curation process, students will hone their historical research and analytical skills and produce published projects that they can use as examples of their skills as they build their professional careers. Students will help us produce a pilot set of primary source curations and test the curation process in preparation for launching the site this coming Fall. Associated tasks include identifying and contextualizing primary sources for curation, working with staff to hone editing processes, polishing the website, and participating in staff meetings.
Tasks and Responsibilites
Students will be involved in many aspects of EMKE work. Their basic and continuing assignment will involve working with the archivists and librarians at the UWM Libraries to identify primary sources significant to EMKE content, and to prepare contextualizing materials for the digital curation of these primary sources. EMKE is currently working with UWM Web services to build the DMKE website, which should be completed this coming Fall. Students will help us build a preliminary group of curations for the site launch. This is vital work for our current round of EMKE grant-writing, enabling us to approach the National Endowment for the Humanities for funds to do this work on a larger scale. Students will be expected to produce original primary source curations for publication on the DMKE website.
Desired Qualifications
None