An innovative digital repository on the website of the Army Women’s Museum is providing valuable insights into well-preserved artifacts, archives, and exhibits related to the contributions of women in the U.S. Army.
Tracy Bradford, the curator of the Army Women’s Museum, stated that the objective of this initiative is to establish an internet-based collection that will safeguard and provide access to the archive materials held at the museum for the entire nation.
The AWM’s inaugural digital archive, known as “Digital Collections,” will provide access to individuals unable to physically visit the museum, enabling them to virtually explore and appreciate the archives, displays, and collections.
“We aim to provide individuals who are unable to physically visit our museum with the opportunity to fully engage with all the offerings it provides,” stated Alexandra J. Kolleda, education specialist at the Army Women’s Museum.
In order to make this history accessible to the public, the museum undertakes the task of processing and digitizing all of their holdings, making them available online.
In order to initiate the process, it is necessary to digitally scan and upload each unique piece within a collection. Subsequently, data entries are generated for each piece, containing essential information such as the date, title, and subjects.
These items consist of photographs, certificates, postcards, and even more varied things such as an audiovisual file.
“Incorporating informative data into all the components enhances the comprehensiveness and preparedness of each collection for public accessibility,” stated Kolleda.
Certain pieces may also be incorporated into the museum’s virtual tours.
To access these online archives, visitors can navigate to the AWM’s website homepage and scroll down until they locate a historical image depicting a gathering of women in the Army. The image will be labeled “The U.S. Army Women’s Museum Digital Collections.” By clicking on this photo, visitors will be directed to the digital collections section of the website.
The U.S. Army Women’s Museum has developed an online archive of historical significance that is accessible to the public. Visitors to the digital collections can access special exhibits, collections, historic photos, documentations, certificates, and perform advanced searches to locate specific items.
Through the advanced search feature, users have the ability to input precise details in order to improve the effectiveness of their search. The required information includes a title, a specified period of time, an individual’s name, and potential descriptions to facilitate the identification of the precise search criteria.
The overwhelming majority of artworks, which cannot be exhibited at the gallery owing to spatial constraints, will now be accessible for viewing through the online exhibition in the digital collections section of the website.
“The upload process for these collections is solely determined by the size of the collection,” stated Kolleda. “A smaller collection could be processed within a day, whereas a larger collection may require two weeks or even longer.”
The U.S. Army Women’s Museum has developed an online archive of historical significance that is accessible to the public. The AWM aims to employ its new digital collections to educate a wide audience, including students from Virginia and other states who rely on the museum for their academic studies and school assignments.
“We believe it is our duty to make these historical documents available to the public, so that researchers, students, families, and others can easily access these exceptional primary source materials,” stated Bradford.
To access the official website of the Army Women’s Museum, please click on the following link: https://awm.army.mil/.
To access the digital collections of the Army Women’s Museum, please click on the following link: https://awm.historyit.com/public-sites/home/digitalcollections?hsxezn=kezfcv