January 4, 2010 - 2:59am
The Canadian Letters and Images project, a unique online archive of Canadian war experiences maintained by Vancouver Island University history students, received a special gift from the Nanaimo Community Foundation - $12,000 for technology upgrades.
The objective of the Canadian Letters and Images project is to let Canadians tell their own story in their own words by creating a permanent online archive preserving Canada s wartime correspondence from the battlefront and from the home front. The project is unique in Canada.
“The letters and images preserve the story of ordinary Canadians and the richness of their wartime experiences,” explained VIU history professor Dr. Stephen Davies who started the project eight years ago. “Each piece of correspondence is a valuable artifact linking Canadians to their past. When seen in combination with many others, a single letter can help to tell a remarkable story of the unyielding spirit of a country at war.”
“The Nanaimo Community Foundation believes this project is worthy of support because it preserves an important part of Canada s history,” said Gordon Hussey of the Nanaimo Community Foundation.
“If it wasn’t for the efforts of Dr. Davies and his students at VIU, the personal side of the wartime experience and stories of some of our finest soldiers would be forever lost or destroyed. We must never forget their heroic contribution.”
Each year, Davies enlists the help of history students to transcribe letters and scan photographic images to add to the collection. The archive now contains more than 6,000 donated letters and images available online, with another 4,000 in progress of being digitized or being added to the site.
Davies began the project using the computer program Front Page in August 2000 when digital learning was in its infancy at Vancouver Island University and elsewhere in education.
He collaborated with VIU s Centre for Digital Humanities Innovation (CDHI) to develop a database using new technology, and again, innovative ways to manipulate the data had to be developed. Currently, Davies is creating a teacher resource database to augment the visual displays with data-streamed materials such as interviews.
“The generous donation from the Nanaimo Community Foundation means we can purchase a high-tech scanner to enable students to copy larger documents and images,” said Davies. “It will allow us to make the necessary technology upgrades to improve our ability to archive online materials.”
Although it was created for students, the Canadian Images and Letters project is utilized by researchers, professional historians, and scholars around the world.
Recently, the Canadian War Museum used images in an exhibit that were only available through this project, and the senior historian of the museum uses the site for classes at Carelton University.
Davies regularly champions the need for electronic preservation and dissemination of the archival materials. Last year, he participated in 14 CBC Radio interviews across the country, also appearing on television, giving public talks, or being a guest speaker at various universities.
For more information about the project or to donate letters, postcards, photos or other wartime memorabilia, contact Davies at 753-3245 ext. 2131 or visit the site at www.canadianletters.ca
The Nanaimo Community Foundation has supported many community organizations and worthwhile projects in the Nanaimo area from Nanoose Bay to Ladysmith. Founded in 1982 by the Nanaimo Branch of The Associated Canadian Travellers, the Foundation has granted more than $1-million to help make the community a better place to live. For further information, visit www.nanaimocommunityfoundation.com.
Tags: In the Community
