Although we were not required to make a post for today’s presentations, I did have some thoughts I wanted to share on the interface, Digital Archives.

Prior to choosing our interface, I researched Digital Archives throughly to see if I wanted to use it as my interface. After getting a good grasp on the affordances and constraints of the interface, I decided to move on and explore other tools. However, after hearing the presentation of Digital Archives there were a few key points that I felt compelled to expand upon.

First, I think the most important factor of the Digital Archives interface (which I believe was not mentioned in the presentation) is that it is an education initiative hosted by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA.) NARA is our National Archives in the United States and preserves and houses governmental records like the Declaration of Independence. Second to protecting and preserving these immensely important documents, NARA aims to make records accessible to the public.

Although the audience we discussed as a class was educators, students, and history buffs, I would like to suggest that the audience for Digital Archives is anyone who is not familiar with materials that can be studied in archival libraries, and those who are new to the National Archives in general. Digital Archives is a fun, interactive preview tool that was created to help gauge interest in United States history and primary source documents that NARA holds. It was not created for experienced history buffs, who would likely visit the archives data base for a more comprehensive source history, or higher level students who are very practiced in research based work.

I agree with the affordances and constraints that were shared today in class, but I wanted to make sure that the goal of the Digital Archives was understood accordingly. I also commend Digital Archives in their mission to make historical documents accessible to a wide audience both online and in their archival museums (which are open to the public.)