Sarah Park, Technology & Engineering Librarian at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, presented at the 2016 DPLAfest, which was sponsored by the Digital Public Library of America. This year’s event was in Washington, D.C., from April 14 to 15. Park’s workshop, titled “Geovisualization: Visualize that on a Map”, provided an introduction to geovisualization, which is a technique for integrating data with geographic locations, in order to create visualizations that reveal new knowledge. This method could be especially helpful for libraries and museums that conduct genealogical and historical research, but that lack the means to represent information in a visually-useful format. The workshop gave participants hands-on experience in extracting information, and then visualizing it via Google Maps.
DPLAfest is an annual event intended for librarians, archivists, and museum professionals, in addition to authors, students, and others with an interest in historical and cultural preservation. (The event is also open to the public.) The 2016 gathering had a special emphasis on interactive sessions, including hackathons and hands-on workshops. Participants also had an opportunity to learn from community leaders and other individuals who have been on the frontlines of the latest issues affecting archival and museum services. For more information about this year’s gathering and DPLAfest in general, go here.