2011 Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool

Concept for a Social Library/Archive

Name: Event Album

Project Description: Event Album would be a mobile application that allows users to collectively document events through media: pictures, videos and audio. While at events, users can see what media others are capturing through a location based “media stream” within the mobile application. Users can also participate in an event and location based chat through the application to interact with others.

On the Event Album website, photos from all users would be grouped into event specific albums. Users can opt to see all photographs taken at an event or just those taken by friends. Photos can be made private by selecting an option to make some or all of a user’s photographs only visible to friends.

Not only will users have access to more media of events they attended–or even wish they had attended–but future users will be able to look back and see what an event was like from many perspectives. Event Album has the potential to collaboratively document events for the future. Event Album is a visual, “Where were you when ___?”

Delivery: Event Album will focus on native mobile applications and a website.

• Mobile Application: The mobile application will act as a tool for users to document events with pictures, videos and audio clips. It would be available for both iOS and Android devices to reach the largest amount of users.

• Website: Captured media will be uploaded to the Event Album website where it will be organized into albums by event. Each album will display the various media captured at the corresponding event. Users can also discuss and share the media and the events,

Getting the word out: A strong focus will be placed on social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook to increase the visibility of Event Album. Twitter could be used to let people at events know that they can use Event Album to collaboratively document them

Signage at events can also introduce people to the application and provide information on how to download it. Information about Event Album can also be placed next to events calendars in newspapers and websites to attract more users.