9. Piecing Together Monumental Sites of History

Abstract

Uncovering some of the United Kingdoms most fascinating historical sites, this interactive digital website puts on display one of the newest collections in Queen’s W.D. Jordan Special Collections Library. Using geospatial location technology and a variety of digital humanities concepts, the project undertook the task of mapping over 700 architectural guidebooks from across the United Kingdom. A key driving factor in the creation of the site was the challenge of making collections more accessible to students; encouraging the use of the wide range of the primary source material. The website conjoins the large guidebook collection with literature found in the Schulich-Woolf rare book collection. Through a thorough investigation of the existing literature in the library, this platform connects the plethora 20th-century guidebooks with the many rare 18th, 19th, and 20th-century antiquity books featured in the Schulich-Woolf collection. Through an accessible platform, students are now able to view the guidebook collection, while being able to access key resources for further research into key pieces of British history and identity.