Hello All,

I am a graduate student in the field of technical communication and I was
hoping y’all could help me out a bit.  For a class project I’m designing a
set of guidelines for developers of cultural heritage websites in the hope
that it will help me in developing a website for a local cultural heritage
organization associated with an industrial heritage museum.  I’ve taken a
look at some literature available, of course, but I’d really like to hear
from individuals particularly those with limited resources and a fairly
local focus.

I’ve seen a lot of historical/cultural heritage websites that are very
organizational in structure – they tell people what the organization does,
but don’t give site visitors a glimpse into the actual history of the area.
 I’m working from a communal memory point of view – that developing a
website with a historic focus (actually telling stories and giving site
visitors a glimpse into the past) would help in my organization’s goal of
improving the future of the area by looking into the past.  The town is
sort of fading away, but it has a really wonderfully glorious past, and
accessing that past might help in revitalizing the town.  Is this too
off-topic for this forum?  If it is, just ignore me.

Anyway, so I’m attempting to design a set of guidelines that will address
the issues involved in creating a website for this sort of organization.
I’m focusing on the areas of site Structure, Design, Content, Maintenance,
and Accessibility.  I was hoping that y’all could help me out by addressing
any comments you might have about those areas and how someone in a limited
focus organization, with limited resources could develop the sort of
website I’ve discussed.  What do you think ought to be included?

The literature I’ve taken a look at mostly focuses on the development of
museum websites, but really what I’ve looked at doesn’t take into account
community when developing such a site, the linking of past and future to
create a sort of communal memory – rather than a display of exhibits
without taking into account a larger community meaning behind those
artifacts.  Well, maybe that area’s just too specific.   I hope I’m making
sense.  I’m in the middle of finals and I’ve discovered that’s not
conductive to coming out with comprehensible statements.

Feel free to e-mail me directly at [log in to unmask] if you have any thoughts
or ideas about anything even vaguely resembling what I’ve described.

Thank You,

Sheela Nath
[log in to unmask]

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