This part of the Re-Imagining Archives Project is meant to offer resources for creating your own archive. These resources have been tested and can fit different needs and stories. It is important to work with the tool you feel most comfortable and that will provide you with the right space to tell your story. These resources are by no means a comprehensive list. Featured here are two free resources. However, more resources are available with a subscription. The intention of this project is to offer a way to create and record histories without the need to pay companies and create barriers for cultural and heritage preservation projects.
Timeline JS: https://timeline.knightlab.com/
TimelineJS is an open-source tool that enables anyone to build visually rich, interactive timelines. Beginners can create a timeline using nothing more than a Google spreadsheet (Timeline JS).
Pros:
- TimelineJS can pull in media from a variety of sources. Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, Dailymotion, Google Maps, Wikipedia, SoundCloud, Document Cloud and more.
- Free to use and accessible.
- Provides resources and tutorials to help create timelines.
- Ease of use, shareability.
Cons:
- It does not work well for long timelines with hundreds of slides. However, you can create multiple timelines and link them to each other, to facilitate the inclusion of more content.
Canva: https://www.canva.com/
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. It can be used to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.
Pros:
- User-friendly.
- Provides a variety of templates and elements.
- Offers stock photography usage (if needed).
- Creates teams – Multiple people can work together on one project.
Cons:
- Is free but requires an account and limits access to certain features. However, the free version of Canva holds an extensive selection of elements and templates.
- Unable to move one design onto another design.
- Intellectual property belongs to Canva.
- Canva can delete your account at any time.