The State Library of NSWs’ DX Lab have been conducting fascinating experiments with the Library’s data and rich collections. A hub for innovation and collaboration, the Lab ‘welcomes ideas and provides opportunities for staff and the public to explore the Library, the collections and our data’.
Already, the Lab’s website is filled with a range of fascinating collection tools and projects, some of which are the result of their exciting ‘digital drop-in’ program including their ‘DX Lab Fellows’:
- Loom – the first experiment using collection items located at Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and the Botanic Gardens and dated between 1870 and 2000. See also the second phase of the Loom project.
- Main Street – the result of a collaboration with Tweed Regional Museum exploring using 100 images of “Main Streets” from the Tweed Regional Museum Collection comparing them with 100 images of “Sydney Main Streets” from the Library’s collection. The data sets are organised in sequential order ranging from the 1880s to 1950s.
- Weemala – Developed over the course of a few days by Creative Technologist, Chris McDowall, Weemala is an interactive experiment which uses 100 year-old survey data to map the location and meaning of Indigenous Australian place names across the country. And a warning: visitors should be aware that the Rediscovering Indigenous Languages website may contain images or documentation relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are deceased.
- 1001 Postcards – the latest Lab experiment using images from the Library’s Broadhurst Collection. They consist of 1000 postcards produced in the early 20th century picturing locations across New South Wales.
Play with 1001 Postcards –#DXLab‘s stunning new experiment using our Broadhurst Collection: https://t.co/B0KVeQJyuV pic.twitter.com/1g5AYydGZY
— State Library of NSW (@statelibrarynsw) June 14, 2016
If you are planning on experimenting with the Library’s collections, the DX Lab would love to hear about it. Use the hashtag #madewithslnsw on your social media channels and if you make any projects using State Library of NSW data they highly recommend they be released under a Creative Commons 3.0 (CC BY 3.0 AU) license.
Feature image: screenshot from 1001 Postcards, courtesy DX Lab, State Library of NSW.