History Center In Tompkins County

HISTORYFORGE: MAPPING CENSUS DATA TO VISUALIZE LOCAL HISTORY [HISTORYFORGE IS A DIGITAL APPLICATION THAT COMBINES HISTORIC MAPS WITH CENSUS RECORDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY. THE INITIAL PROTOTYPE VISUALIZES THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON SEARCHABLE MAPS THAT ALLOWS USERS AND INSTITUTIONS TO MORE FULLY CONNECT WITH PRIMARY SOURCE HISTORICAL RECORDS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT EXPANDS THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE HISTORYFORGE PROTOTYPE, AND SUPPORTS THE FURTHER ADOPTION BY ADDITIONAL TESTING PARTNERS.]

TO SUPPORT HISTORYFORGE, A WEB APPLICATION THAT COMBINES INFORMATION FROM U.S. CENSUS RECORDS, SANBORN MAPS, AND OTHER RECORDS IN TO AN INTERACTIVE FRAMEWORK OF HUMAN AND SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT ILLUSTRATE WHAT COMMUNITIES LOOKED LIKE AND HOW THEY EVOLVED OVER TIME. THE PROJECT WILL PLAN AND OFFER CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS TO MIDDLE- AND HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHERS, AS WELL AS WORK WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES TO SET UP THEIR OWN INSTANCES OF HISTORYFORGE.

YOUTH PROGRAM RESILIENCE, AND COMMUNITY ARCHIVES AND EXHIBITS

THE HISTORY CENTER IN TOMPKINS COUNTY, NEW YORK, WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER, LATINO CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND ITHACA ASIAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION TO MAKE ITS COLLECTION MORE REPRESENTATIVE AND DIVERSE. CURRENTLY, THE COMMUNITY ARCHIVE PREDOMINANTLY REFLECTS THE WHITE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE CALLED TOMPKINS COUNTY HOME, WHICH BECAME APPARENT AS A RESULT OF INCREASED INQUIRIES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF DIFFERENT MINORITY GROUPS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE CENTER WILL SPONSOR A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO ASSESS THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACK, LATINX, AND ASIAN COMMUNITIES WITHIN ITS ARCHIVES AND 3-D OBJECT COLLECTION; CREATE PUBLIC OUTREACH STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN ITS HISTORICAL RECORD; AND DEVELOP INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS TO DOCUMENT AND ARCHIVE BOTH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE FUTURE OF TOMPKINS COUNTY. THIS PROJECT IS CRITICAL FOR THE HISTORY CENTER TO BUILD THE PARTNERSHIPS AND TRUST NECESSARY TO CONTINUE ITS PROGRESS TOWARD BECOMING A TRUE COMMUNITY ARCHIVE.