Locating a National Collection (LaNC)

Locating a National Collection helps cultural heritage organisations to use geographical information — such as where objects were made and used or the locations they depict and describe — to connect collections and engage the public. Through workshops, audience research and software development the project has developed a set of recommendations for using location to enhance the discovery of digital records across diverse collections. A set of thematic and technological case studies have connected site records from historic environment organisations with objects from galleries, libraries, archives and museums virtually. The Pelagios Network of researchers, scientists and curators has developed a methodology that uses geographical information to connect research data with considerable success. LaNC built on their methodology by exploring methods of accessible and meaningful presentation to the public in collaboration with the National Trust and Historic Royal Palaces. The engagement work package encompassed survey and focus groups to understand the attitudes, behaviour and motivations of audiences such as community groups, heritage visitors and schools towards cultural heritage and location-based technologies. Our infrastructure work package created two web apps: a curation tool, Locolligo, and a web-map interface that can be embedded in organisational websites, Peripleo. LaNC encourages cultural heritage organisations to take up a common approach to creating and presenting geographical information with the ultimate aim of spear-heading a movement beyond text-based searches in cultural heritage.