My first introduction to the Valley of the Shadow project
was in my Intro to Public History course during my first semester in graduate
school – not only was it posed as the leading example of digital tools being
used to present historical narratives outside that of a monographic book, it
was also presented as a seminal public history project. The website’s accessibility
to those outside of academia, as well as the user-friendly navigation allow for
non-academically trained users to interpret and interact with the sources and
information presented. Prior to this, traditional peer-reviewed historical publications
found themselves contained within the academic sphere – and also difficult to
read because of the prevalence of thick jargon and low interest levels. Non-academic
readers would either have to just trust the argument at hand or ignore the
narrative altogether for more interestingly disseminated arguments (that may
not even hold veritable value). Academic historians held sole authority over
the information presented.
The Valley of the Shadow, by sharing the source materials
and providing a hypertextual, open narrative account of two communities, allowed
the user to come up with their own conclusions. This “erosion of our authority,”
as Ayer’s puts it, allows for immersion, collaboration, and ultimately a larger
base dissemination of historical knowledge that will extend outside of the
ivory tower.[1] Ayers,
in encouraging historians to embrace this new medium for historical output, encourages
civic education and engagement all around.
Given the importance of the shared authority spearheaded with
the Valley of the Shadow project, the site’s implications for digital tools and
digital history is also important to discuss. The initial webpage used to house
the archive is a bit finicky and hard to navigate, and visually, looks just
like one would imagine a site from the late 1990’s would look like – however,
the site makes great use of hypertextuality, where links to further information
are provided in almost every page of the archive. This same hypertextuality was
matched in the recreated version of the project: only this time, more navigable,
less text heavy, and more visually appealing and immersive. The second version
includes “rooms” that users can walk into, as if they were in an actual museum
or archive.
Images of the people behind the sources presented are shared
with the sources, as well as important background information. Users, with this
linking feature, can learn as much as they want – avoiding fatigue of
information. In fact, they might be more driven to read more as they get to pick
and choose what they dive into, rather than being presented a specific, linear
narrative.
Another unique aspect of this project was its ability to be
refurbished, for lack of a better term. Books and articles are more permanent.
If there is a mistake within a publication, a new edition containing new edits
is required, whereas you can simply edit a website and republish it without
needing to publish a whole new version of the project. This will allow for
better historical accuracy, and a faster turnaround for accurately disseminated
information.
While all of these aspects are good, there are some unfortunate
challenges to this digital history method. Technology changes expeditiously and
software and hardware become obsolete very, very quickly. One such example is Flash
falling out of use – entire websites and projects built on this platform now
unable to render or work at all because browsers no longer support it. Whereas
books can last a few good years before a new edition would be required,
websites and online databases take constant maintenance to ensure that they will
work correctly. The efforts to preserve the Valley of the Shadows project alone
were strenuous various servers, files, metadata, coding, encryptions, etc. had
to be analyzed or reevaluated to avoid messing the archive up.[2]
However, historical narratives are built on revision and reworking – this issue
of compatibility and constant supervision is not specific to digital history.
Ayer’s Valley of the Shadow project shows how digital tools can convey an immersive, collaborative history, and how these tools can educate a wider audience. Even today, the site is navigable, modern enough to present an interesting, informative narrative, and remains user friendly, regardless of newer technological innovations. It really holds up. As with any new medium, there are growing pains, and attention to details and change are extremely important. As more historians accept the growing medium, I am positive Ayer’s project will continue to act as an apt example of the shared authority, civic engagement, and exciting possibilities that digital history can cultivate.
[1] The pasts and futures of digital
history: Edward L. Ayers, accessed September 12, 2022,
http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/PastsFutures.html.
[2] “University of Virginia Library Digital Curation
Services,” Digital Curation Services, accessed September 12, 2022,
https://web.archive.org/web/20141010164712/http://www.digitalcurationservices.org/sustaining-digital-scholarship/valley-of-the-shadow/.
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