The University of New Hampshire (with funding from the National Science Foundation) partnered with Historicus, Inc. to produce this novel, open-ended archive of primary sources related to the History of Science in Latin America and the Caribbean. The site combines a drupal open-source content management system front-end and a rich internet application programmed in Flash, with a mySQL database backend for primary-source viewing. The site will launch officially in August of 2009, but can be viewed now at www.hoslac.org. Tell us what you think!

After the success of the Primary Source Investigator (PSI) CD-ROM, Historicus, Inc. launched, in 2005, the redesigned, updated, web-based Primary Source Investigator Version 3.0. Version 3.0 offers a wide variety of tools to facilitate student engagement with primary sources, including: an interactive atlas, interactive glossary and quiz modules, and research guides with related books, websites, movies, and events. In 2006, the PSI won a Horizon Interactive Gold Award.  Included in the United States History editions are eleven of the popular mini-documentaries from our original Primary Source Investigator, along with the new mini-documentary “Tulsa Race Riot of 1921,” which explores the causes and repercussions of one of the deadliest race-related conflicts in U.S. history. Eight more PSI titles were released in 2007, 2008, and 2009 — proof of the popularity and expandability of this valuable educational learning tool. Visit the site at psi.mcgraw-hill.com and tell us what you think!

With VIVA2, Historicus, Inc. created an interactive interface in which a series of complex animated views of the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center were combined with relevant items from the Skyscraper Museum image archive. Features in the module include: timelines showing images from different stages of construction, the ability to sort for images relevant to certain areas of each building, and a set of subject headings and subcategories that allow images to be grouped together in highly flexible ways. The interface was programmed in Flash MX 2004 (and later, Flash 8) and is driven by a mySQL database that allows for hassle-free updating of information. Because VIVA2 uses static XML, end users are able to conduct database searches, retrieve images, and print and e-mail using only local resources. That means VIVA2 can be placed on a CD-ROM, a USB memory stick, an iPod, or any sufficiently large storage device. It does not require a connection to the Internet (though it does contain links to other websites for additional information) and can thus be used in a safe and flexible way in the classroom, on scholar’s desktops, or in standalone kiosks. Visit the project at www.skyscraper.org. (There, you can also see VIVA, a project we completed in 2001.)

Historicus, Inc. worked with Skyscraper Museum from April 2003 through May 2004 to develop a collections database and visual catalogue for their massive collection of historical images of New York City skyscrapers. The site was programmed in Flash MX 2004’s object-oriented programming model, using XML generated from a mySQL/PHP server to dynamically load hundreds of different three-dimensional map objects and link them dynamically to original collection materials. The project was funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for innovative cataloging and collection-access initiatives. Visit the site at www.skyscraper.org. (There, you can also see VIVA2, another of our projects for the Skyscraper Museum.)