Walk1916. Exploring non-research user access to and use of digital surrogates via a mobile walking tour app
| Pages | 917-933 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-03-2017-0031 |
| Published date | 11 September 2017 |
| Date | 11 September 2017 |
| Author | Amber L. Cushing,Benjamin R. Cowan |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management,Classification & cataloguing,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Scholarly communications/publishing,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Walk1916
Exploring non-research user access to
and use of digital surrogates via a mobile
walking tour app
Amber L. Cushing and Benjamin R. Cowan
School of Information and Communication Studies, University College Dublin,
Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate how non-research users access and use digital
surrogates from archival collections via mobile walking tour app. Much of the existing literature that
discusses outreach for digitised archival collections in libraries, archives and museums (LAMs) reports
examples of single outreach events or discusses outreach broadly, without critically exploring the purpose
and context of outreach as an activity. Further, these reports generally aim to introduce collections to
potential researchers, amateur or professional, without consideration of how the collections could be used for
purposes other than research, by non-researchers. The study aims to expand understanding of non-research
use of digital surrogates contextualised by mobile technology.
Design/methodology/approach –Utilising an exploratory approach, Walk1916, a mobile walking tour
app of Easter Rising sites in Dublin was first developed. It contextualised digital surrogates from archival
collections, along with an audio and a textual description of the image, with augmented reality (AR) and
geolocation technology. In all, 15 semi-structured interviews were then conducted to understand how
contextualising digital surrogates with these mobile technology features influenced participants’perceptions
of the digital surrogate. Interview transcripts were transcribed and analysed via memoing and coding,
using nVivo for Mac 10.2.2.
Findings –Findings from interview data suggest that contextualising the digital surrogate with AR and
geolocation features allowed participants to perceive of the digital surrogate as enhancing their
understanding of the Easter Rising, enhancing life and allowing for increased control of their experience.
Originality/value –This furthers work in the area of how individuals value digital surrogates, in different
(non-research) contexts. These findings provide groundwork for the future study of non-research access to
and use of digital surrogates held in institutional collections so that LAMs can utilise collections efficiently
for a wider user base.
Keywords Digital libraries, Archives, Museums, Digital cultural heritage, Archival collections,
Non-research use
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
This study explores the role of utilising mobile technology to enhance access to and use of
digital surrogates in galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs) for non-research
use. The way in which outreach is defined often differs from the ways in which it is
practiced and discussed in reference to technology and digital surrogates in GLAMs.
The Glossary of Archives and Records Terminology defined outreach as “the process of
identifying and providing services to constituencies with needs relevant to the repository’s
mission, especially underserved groups, and tailoring services to meet those needs”
(Pearce-Moses, 2005a). Concerning digital surrogates, previous literature has explored
outreach on a case by case basis. A specific outreach initiative is often reported, but is
seldom considered in the context of research concerning access to and use of digital
collections. Much of the recent literature that considered technology within outreach
initiatives focused on the use of social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter
(Crymble, 2010). In the context of outreach, social media applications are utilised as a way to
introduce digital collections and/or the institution to a wider audience. While important,
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 73 No. 5, 2017
pp. 917-933
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-03-2017-0031
Received 7 March 2017
Revised 12 June 2017
Accepted 12 June 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
917
Walk1916
the technology does not play a significant role in tailoring services to meet user needs
(emphasis added, per the stated definition of outreach) –it “introduces”the institutions’
existing services.
Walk1916, a mobile app featuring augmented reality (AR) and geolocation technology
attempts to tailoraccess to digital surrogatesfor “non-traditional”(non-research) users –those
who seek to access digital surrogates for leisure purposes, suchas a walking tour. Much has
been written about how researchers, whether professional or amateur, access digital
surrogates, but less is known about how non-researchers prefer to access and use digital
surrogates in GLAM collections. While promoting a digital collection on social media can
expose digital collections to a wider audience, it does not further understanding of how this
audience would like to engage with the digital surrogates in GLAM collections. If the goal of
outreach is to tailor services to meetthe needs of a constituency, itis necessary to understand
the needs and preferences of these non-researchers with regard to digital surrogates.
This research seeks to explore what characterises non-research user access to digital
surrogates via a mobile walking tour app featuring AR and geolocation technology.
While previous research has demonstrated that GLAMs have made efforts to appeal to the
non-researcher in a broad context, there is little available that specifically focuses on
how non-researchers access digital surrogates held in these institutional collections.
Exploring what non-research participants perceive of novel technology-enhanced access
to digital surrogates has the potential to inform our understanding of preferences for
access and use. It also supports and informs the planning of technology-enhanced
outreach initiatives for non-traditional (non-research) users. Such an exploration of how
these non-researchers perceive the value of digital surrogates outside the context of
research use provides scaffolding for future research in this area.
Literature review
In order to explore what characterises non-research use/user access to digital surrogates in
GLAM collections, it is necessary to explore current understanding of outreach and how it
has been contexualised with technology in GLAMs, how individuals access digital
surrogates and how GLAMs have previously adopted the specific technologies that
Walk1916 utilises, namely AR and geolocation. For the context of this paper, it was
necessary to define “non-research use/users”. Previous work that explore different user
groups typically focuses solely on research use: for example, historians and genealogists are
defined by a professional interest or personal interest in archival resources, but they are
both engaging in a type of research (Duff and Johnson, 2003; Tibbo, 2003). While little
previous research has explored and thus defined “non-research use”, definitions of research
use were first explored in order to develop a working definition. While research use can be
defined in a myriad of ways, “archival research”or “primary source research”is specific
enough that it applies to research using original sources often found in an institutional
collection, which applies to digital surrogates held by GLAMs. Primary source digital
surrogates can be held in archives, library or museum collections, but are often regarded as
archival in nature. If a simple definition of archival research can be summarised as “a type of
primary research which involves seeking out and extracting evidence from original archival
records”, then a working definition of “non-researcher use”can be defined as an individual
that uses primary resources, often held in GLAMs, that involves purposes other than
seeking out and/or extracting evidence for a specific project.
Outreach and technology in GLAMs
As stated above, the Glossary of Archives and Records Terminology defined “outreach”
as “the process of identifying and providing services to constituencies with needs relevant
to the repository’s mission, especially underserved groups, and tailoring services to meet
918
JD
73,5
To continue reading
Request your trial