In Progress: Updating and Redesigning the SAA's Archaeology For the Public Webpages

Summary

There is no doubt that public archaeology is delving into the digital realm. While the web provides a number of new and exciting avenues for the public to interact with archaeology, its complexity also introduces new challenges for individuals and organizations who want to use websites as an engagement tool. This paper discusses recent efforts to redesign a major online resource for public archaeology: the SAA's Archaeology For the Public website. The authors first provide a brief history of the development of the site, which was designed to serve as a "web-based interface between the field of archaeology and its many diverse publics". They briefly discuss what the site has accomplished and the challenges it has faced. In particular, they highlight the difficulties inherent in creating and maintaining a dynamic web-based resource that is meant to serve multiple audiences. The authors then discuss the overall philosophy that has guided efforts to gather audience feedback and evaluate the website for a redesign. Finally, the paper concludes by considering on a broader level how organizations like SAA can create meaningful digital resources that effectively serve multiple audiences who are interested in archaeology.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology. If you are the author of this presentation you may upload your paper, poster, presentation, or associated data (up to 3 files/30MB) for free. Please visit http://www.tdar.org/SAA2015 for instructions and more information.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Current Practice in Digital Public & Community Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

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