Re-using the archive in video posters: a win-win for users and archives

Abstract

Re-use of digital archival content means interpretation; and the ability to create new and original interpretations of cultural heritage materials constitutes necessary contemporary digital and media literacy skills for any (aspiring) scholar and, by extension, informed citizen. For archives, re-use of their content results in more accessible metadata, as user-generated content has proven to be a valuable addition to traditional catalogue metadata. The Carrot is a design concept for a tool that allows its users to re-use digital archival audio-visual content and create digital narratives with the material, thereby interpreting it and adding to our understanding of the original material. By creating these narratives, new archival material is added, and the archive is thus augmented, with both the narrative and user-generated metadata. Taking the Carrot as an example, in this article we argue that digital tools for re-use of archival content provide opportunities for both users and archives and should therefore be embraced by archives. In addition, actively participating in the development of these tools gives the archives the possibility to get more tailored tools.