Let’s build a library. A public library. A digital public library. | History Tech

There are lots of online archives out there. Heck. Sometimes it seems as if that’s all I write about. But the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is different somehow. It’s bigger. More intentional. Specifically designed for the 21st century. Searchable in handy ways. But it’s different in one very big way. It gathers tons of online stuff all in one place ... It does this in two ways: [1] The DPLA uses an easy-to-use portal where anyone can access America’s collections and search through them using novel and powerful techniques, including by place and time. [2] The site uses a sophisticated platform that will make those millions of items available in ways such as smartphone apps. You can browse and search the DPLA’s collections by timeline, map, format, and topic; save items to customized lists; and share their lists with others. The site also also explore digital exhibitions curated by the DPLA’s content partners and staff. Once you find what you’re looking for, you get a link back to the original item. The cool thing is that, like any library, you end up stumbling across some awesome document that you weren’t even looking for. And with over two million items, you can stumble around for hours ..."