About this project:
This is a Florida county history research tool, built to assist the State Archives of Florida reference room staff. Patrons often request information about the history and timeline of certain counties in Florida and need to sift through numerous old maps and documents to find what they are looking for. The goal was to combine our collection of maps and county database information into an interactive tool, streamlining the research process and saving valuable time for both patrons and archive staff.
Technologies used:
-- JavaScript
-- ImageMapster (HTML image mapping plugin)
-- OpenSeaDragon (high-resolution image viewer)
-- HTML
-- CSS
Takeaways:
The biggest challenge in this project was devising an effective method to integrate disparate maps, data, and documents that didn't always align logically. The resulting tool allows users to select any modern county, explore its timeline, and search by year to filter timeline information, revealing a map depicting how the chosen county and the rest of Florida appeared at that time. I also got the opportunity to explore some unique javascript plugins I had never had the opportunity to use before that ended up being valuable in an archival setting.
Current status:
The project is mostly finished and will be implemented on the Florida Memory website, but is awaiting a communications review.
Note:
The Florida Department of State is very security-focused, and version control software is not allowed, so you may not see much of a detailed git history for this project.