Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web
Encyclopedia
Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web is an international database
of online exhibition
s which is a service of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
.
exhibitions with major emphasis on library and archival materials.
Several of these online exhibitions were originally created to accompany exhibitions physically situated at their respective institutions, but a growing percentage exist solely in digital
format. The database is searchable by title, subject, and sponsoring institution.
Libraries until it had grown to some 350 links in 1998–99 and staffing considerations made it necessary for the University to discontinue participation in the project. Since then, the guide has been curated by Diane Shaw, Special Collections Librarian at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
. As of 2011, it has grown to include over 6,000 links to online exhibitions.
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of online exhibition
Online exhibition
An online exhibition, also referred to as a virtual exhibition or cyber-exhibition, is an exhibition whose venue is cyberspace.Museums and other organizations create online exhibitions for many reasons....
s which is a service of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Smithsonian Institution Libraries
The Smithsonian Institution Libraries system comprises 20 libraries serving the various Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers. SIL's holdings include 1.5 million volumes as well as a wide array of digital resources. The collections focus primarily on science, art, history and...
.
Overview
Two categories of online exhibitions are included in the database: exhibitions created by libraries, archives, historical societies, and other scholarly institutions; and museumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
exhibitions with major emphasis on library and archival materials.
Several of these online exhibitions were originally created to accompany exhibitions physically situated at their respective institutions, but a growing percentage exist solely in digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
format. The database is searchable by title, subject, and sponsoring institution.
History
The website is based on an online guide to library exhibits on the web, created by Andrea Bean Hough in 1995. The guide was maintained by the University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
Libraries until it had grown to some 350 links in 1998–99 and staffing considerations made it necessary for the University to discontinue participation in the project. Since then, the guide has been curated by Diane Shaw, Special Collections Librarian at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Smithsonian Institution Libraries
The Smithsonian Institution Libraries system comprises 20 libraries serving the various Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers. SIL's holdings include 1.5 million volumes as well as a wide array of digital resources. The collections focus primarily on science, art, history and...
. As of 2011, it has grown to include over 6,000 links to online exhibitions.