This paper outlines the process of creating a sustainable online community for www.britainfromabove.org.uk. This online archive of historic aerial photographs combines open collections access with elements of crowd sourcing and social engagement. Britain from Above is a four year Heritage Lottery funded partnership project between English Heritage and the Royal Commissions on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland and Wales. The project explores the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to building a committed and sustainable user base beyond the lifetime of the project through recruiting ‘virtual volunteers’ who populate the website with memories and personal photographs and provide essential information for the cataloguing process through identifying unlocated photographs. Presentation at: The Museums Computer Group 'Museums on the Web' conference 2013 (UKMW13) https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ukmw13 Tate Modern, 15 November 2013. The theme for UKMW13 was ‘Power to the people’. The Museums Computer Group: connecting, supporting, inspiring museum technology professionals

1. IT Buddies, Virtual Volunteers and SuperUsers:
Building an Online Community for Britain from
Above
Sandra Brauer
Britain from Above Activity Officer (England)
English Heritage
www.britainfromabove.org.uk

2. Britain from Above: The Aerofilms collection 1919 to 1953

3. Britain from Above: The project in a nutshell
Key aims of the project are:
•
A preservation programme to conserve, digitise and catalogue
95,000 negatives
•
Free online access to digital images via a dedicated website
•
Virtual volunteering and outreach activities focused around the
historic images
•
A programme of exhibitions to celebrate the project and promote
the Collection
•
A publication telling the Aerofilms story to tie in with the
exhibitions programme

7. Britain from Above: The Activity Plan

9. Traditional volunteers: Tasks and Challenges

10. Virtual Volunteers: Online motivational activities

11. Super-Users: From ‘online community’ to ‘community online’
(Kozinet 2010)

12. Halfway point: Lessons learnt and going forward

14. BRITAIN FROM ABOVE
THE AEROFILMS PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION 1919-1953
www.britainfromabove.org.uk
Sandra Brauer
Britain from Above Activity Officer (England)
sandra.brauer@english-heritage.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @AboveBritain