Question about Online Mapping

[Maggie Berndt]

Here's a project that the IHC is considering that we thought we'd run
by all of our New Media experts to see if you had any thoughts!

If you could get back with any ideas/suggestions/comments by the end
of this week -- that would be really great! You can write back here or
e-mail me directly at m...@prairie.org

We are hoping to develop an online, interactive map using GoogleMaps
that would create a virtual road trip of interesting cultural points
in Illinois along the major highways (probably starting with I-57
first). Visitors to our web site would click on certain links and read
more about interesting cultural and historical locations off of I-57
and be linked to more in-depth information about that topic elsewhere
on the web. People who frequently drive on 57 could also then print
out information on how they can visit that particular location. The
goal is to create both a virtual and real time road trips that
highlights Illinois culture, history, etc. Rather than create separate
itineraries, we want to use the frequently travelled interstates as
the base for exploration.

We'll be applying to the NEH for a planning grant to research more
about how to do this and to plan this project. We'll be working with
our web folks at Duo in consulting on the technical matters, but we
need a consultant who can advise us best on the content. What kind of
information and links would work best? What will people be interested
in? How might we focus the information and links we provide? And we
would also want to get some advice on outreach and drawing people to
the site. So we kind of need someone who has a sense of how these
kinds of maps work - how people use them, what features are good, etc.
- and also some grounding in the humanities in some way. Is there such
a person? Do you know them? Can you send them our way?

Thanks!!

Maggie

[Stelios Valavanis]

i have no immediate suggestions for help on the project but i think it's a
great idea. if you need me to ask around for references i can but i'm
guessing others on the committee are pretty hooked up. an ex-employee of mine
heads up the chicago google development office and i would strongly suggest
talking to them both for references and for ideas on how to best utilize
google. they will love this. who knows, they might even help.

--
_______________________________________
stel valavanis http://www.onshore.com/

[Kristina A. Valaitis]

one of the things we already have is a history of the state of Illinois without chicago-- the content written for us. If there was a way of accessing it by name of community through the map that would be terrific It's filled with anecdotal and interesting historical facts. written by JimKrohe who writes a lot on Illinois issues for the Reader, etc.
k/

________________________________

[heathe...@gmail.com]

Hi Everyone,

I found about this website today and thought it might be pertinent to
this project.
http://www.savingthesierra.org/storybooth/map
This is an awesome use of storytelling and mapping (and audio...)

Heather

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