Modernizing The National Register of Historic Places: Towards an Open Data Framework
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Date
2024-06
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Abstract
The National Register of Historic Places was established as part of the The National Historic
Preservation Act, which was signed into law in 1966. This terminal project considered the role the
information age has played in shaping the way data about the National Register is collected, stored,
and analyzed and made available to preservation professionals, researchers and the public in general.
The main question which guided the research project was: How can an open data framework inform the
way National Register nominations are published and accessed as an institutional collection? The concept of an
open data framework was introduced, and its relevance to the National Register was explored. A
literature review revealed the prevalence of open data discourse in other allied fields, but less so in
historic preservation publications. An online survey was distributed to the preservation community,
and was intended to assess familiarity with open data principles and the use of digital research tools.
The written responses were primarily open-ended, and analyzed using qualitative coding analysis.
Survey respondents revealed an appreciation for the body of knowledge represented by the National
Register, and also a desire for improved access to this data. A set of case studies presented examples
of digital research tools that are relevant to preservation stakeholders, and explored the ways in
which open data initiatives have informed the development and use of these tools. The last section
paired findings about shortcomings of the accessibility of National Register data with
recommendations on improving the usefulness and relevance of digital tools used by preservation
stakeholders.
Description
190 pages
Keywords
National Register of Historic Places, Historic Preservation, Open Data, Digital Humanities, Historic Resource Inventory, Cultural Heritage Data, Data Accessibility, Metadata Standards, Government Archives, Information Management, GLAM, Participatory Data Management