Summer 2024

As we move into summer, our upcoming Lunchtime Lectures are almost here! Registration links for our two-part “How to Search Your Collections” series and a standalone lecture about sharing media files are now available and can be found below.

Fun Fact

From June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, records and searches within the Photos catalog were the most visited pages across all PastPerfect Online sites. Accounting for 27.05% of all traffic, these pages were even more popular than Keyword Searches, which totaled 20.34% of all page views!

How to Watermark Your Online Images

The Web Publishing Wizard makes copies of your PastPerfect images to share on your PPO site. When creating your web files, an optional text watermarking feature is available for your images. This watermark text can be applied to large images or thumbnail images. Watermarks applied with this tool are only added to the web copies of your images and do not affect the images in Image Management.

To add watermarks:

1. In PastPerfect, open the Web Publishing Wizard by clicking the PastPerfect Online button on the Main Menu.
2. Click Next until you reach the Create Web Publishing Files step.
3. Click the Watermark Settings button to open the Web Publishing Watermark Wizard.
4. In the Watermark Wizard, change the text, color, and position of the watermark as desired.
5. Click the Apply Test Watermark button to see your selections on a preview image.
6. Click the Exit button to return to the Web Publishing Wizard.
7. Check the Apply Watermark to Published Images box if you want to apply a watermark to your large images.
8. Check the Watermark Thumbnails box if you want to apply a watermark to your thumbnail images. Note: The ability to watermark thumbnail images was added in our 5.0F9 update. If you do not see this checkbox in your PastPerfect program, visit our website to download a free update.

To remove watermarks:

1. In PastPerfect, open the Web Publishing Wizard by clicking the PastPerfect Online button on the Main Menu.
2. Click Next until you reach the Create Web Publishing Files step.
3. Uncheck the Apply Watermark to Published Images box to remove the watermark from your large images.
4. Uncheck the Watermark Thumbnails box to remove the watermark from your thumbnail images.

After adding, removing, or modifying your watermark, you will need to create and upload your data and all image folders for the changes to be reflected on your site. This is especially important to note if you normally use the Selected Images Only option when creating your files. If you need to create all images and are sharing around 10,000 or more images online, please contact our support team for assistance.

Lunchtime Lecture Training Series

Are you using your PastPerfect Online site to its full potential? Brush up on your PastPerfect Online knowledge by joining Allison and Demi for our free Lunchtime Lectures. Watch, listen, and learn as they review some PastPerfect Online basics and demonstrate ways to improve your PastPerfect Online site. Each lecture will end with a Q&A session. We hope to see you there!

Registration links are now available for our three summer sessions. We will send video links to all registrants after each session, so we invite you to sign up even if you are unable to attend live.

Understanding Your Search Options: June 17, 2024 @ 12pm Eastern

Learn about each of the methods available to search your site. We will cover the different search operators available to further narrow your results, as well as show where on your site you can provide search tips to your visitors to explain this functionality. Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8387006966640026712.

Search Result Modifications in IMS: June 24, 2024 @ 12pm Eastern

Following up on the previous session, we will demonstrate how to use the Interface Management Site to change settings for your site’s Keyword Search, Search by Term, Advanced Search, and Catalog Search functions. Learn how to edit your search tips and use the built-in search reporter to see the most popular searches on your site. We will also discuss how Quick Links can be added to your site, helping you to highlight specific records and collections for your visitors. Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6264526213055712347.

Sharing Media Files: August 5 @ 12pm Eastern

Enhance your web visitors’ online experience by sharing links to multimedia files. In this standalone session, we will demonstrate how to link several files, including a PDF and a video, on PastPerfect Online catalog records using simple HTML. We will also discuss some best practices for selecting these supplemental files. Detailed information on how to use our optional PPO Links hosting service will be reviewed at the end of the session.

Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4286741189686699351.

Our final lectures for this year will take place in September and will cover all changes that can be made to the look and feel of your site using the Interface Management Site (IMS). Registration links for these webinars will be included on our PPO Training page when available and in the next PPO newsletter on September 4th.

Staff Pick

We are asking each of our staff to choose a favorite item from one of the many online collections. This artifact was selected from the online collection of The Indiana Album by Jessica:

"Welcome, Summer! This photograph from the Indiana Album’s Wabash County Real Photo Postcard Album Collection reminds me of many things I enjoy about summer: outside activities, spending time with family, and enjoying the fruits of summer. This picnic scene eating watermelon is a one many folks can relate to even though the photo is from circa 1910. It’s nice to remember some simple pastimes haven’t changed that much (although we usually cut our watermelon before the picnic)."

Applications for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources (HCRR) grant, offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), are open. The application is due by July 16, 2024. 

HCRR advances scholarship, education, and public programming in the humanities by helping libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country steward important collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture, and digital objects.

Guidelines for this grant are available at https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/humanities-collections-and-reference-resources.

Applications for the Publishing Historical Records in Collaborative Digital Editions grant, offered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), are open. A draft is due by August 15, 2024 and the final deadline is November 7, 2024.

The NHPRC seeks proposals to publish online editions of historical records. All types of historical records are eligible, including documents, photographs, born-digital records, and analog audio. The goal of this program is to provide access to, and editorial context for, the historical documents and records that tell the American story.

Guidelines for this grant are available at https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/announcement/editions.html.

Applications for the Archival Projects grant, offered by the NHPRC, are open. The deadline to apply is November 7, 2024, with an optional draft due August 15, 2024.

The NHPRC seeks archival projects that will significantly improve online public discovery and use of historical records collections.

Guidelines for this grant are available at https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/announcement/archival.html.

The House of the Seven Gables

Lambton County Museums

Warehouse Art Museum