The document discusses EuropeanaBot, an AI assistant created by Peter Mayr to interact with users on Twitter and present digital collections from Europeana using open data and APIs. EuropeanaBot searches various open datasets and APIs to find information to engage in natural conversations similar to a person. It has a persona of liking certain music and pictures. The bot aims to showcase cultural heritage collections in a more serendipitous way than traditional search and help make the collections speak for themselves to attract new audiences.

1. EuropeanaBot!
using open data and open APIs
to present digital collections
Peter Mayr
ELAG 2014, University of Bath

2. "What has this
gardening tool to
do with
computers?"

3. Main Themes
• Serendipity vs. (Boolean) Search
• Collections as autonomous entities

4. Serendipity
An unsought, unintended, and/or unexpected,
but fortunate, discovery and/or learning
experience that happens by accident.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/serendipity

5. search as gatekeeper

6. "precious provider of unpredictability"

7. "... an opportunity for archival interfaces
which adopt rhetorical positions, ..."

8. Conversations with
Collections

9. Talking Collections 1.0

10. Talking Collections 2.0

11. TwitterBots

12. EuropeanaBot
• based on Europeana API
• inspired by @DPLAbot
• since July 2013
• approx. 7000 Tweets
• open source

13. Using Open Data/APIs
• place names
• list of Nobel Prize winners
• Wikipedia API
• Guardian API
• Wordnik API

14. "Digital Persona"
• likes "MC Hammer"
• and unicorns
• posts cat pictures
• dislikes Monday mornings
• participates in #FollowFriday

15. Reactions

16. Reactions

17. Statistics
• 58 follower
• ∅ 16 hits/URL
• up to 120 hits
• retweets, favorites

18. Similar Projects

19. @ddbKatzen & "Hr. Kratochwil"

20. @HistoricalCats &
@TroveNewsBot

21. The Mechanical Curator

22. Eyes on the past

23. Conclusion

24. We hide great
objects behind
search forms

25. Let our collections speak for
themselves!

26. People out there will listen

27. More Information:
• http://twitter.com/europeanabot!
• https://github.com/hatorikibble/twitter-
europeanabot
• https://hatorikibble.wordpress.com
• http://twitter.com/hatorikibble

28. Projects mentioned:
• ddbKatzen: http://twitter.com/ddbkatzen
• Herr Kratochwil schaut nach:
http://herrkratochwilschautnach.wordpress.com
• Historical Cats: https://twitter.com/historicalcats
• TroveNewsBot: https://twitter.com/TroveNewsBot
• The Mechanical Curator:
http://mechanicalcurator.tumblr.com
• Eyes on the past: http://eyespast.herokuapp.com

29. Image Credits I
• Flickr: The Commons
• Slide 6: https://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw/7173836598
• Slide 7: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmediamuseum/
2781207528
• Slide 9: https://www.flickr.com/photos/27591534@N02/3543593733
• Slide 18: https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
2178441383
• Slide 25: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/
5505933145
• Slide 26: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/4405670187

30. Bildnachweise II
• Europeana:
• Slide 2: http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/
08547/4081DA2C70DA6DBB55D648BC8D665
51E689C537F.html
• Misc.:
• Slide 11: http://www.botanicalls.com/press/
press-inquiries/

31. Text Credits
• Slide 3, translation of: von Schirach, Adriane:
"Das goldene Glück bringt nur der Zufall". In: Die
Welt (2010) http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/
article6001201/Das-goldene-Glueck-bringt-nur-
der-Zufall.html
• Slide 7: Schofield, Tom: "Ambigous
Interfaces" (2014) http://www.fh-potsdam.de/
informieren/fhp-kalender/termindetails/events/
ambiguous-interfaces/