CORVALLIS, Ore. - A new mobile-friendly website developed by Oregon State University Libraries highlights the architecture of the Pacific Northwest and offers a wealth of photos and information about historically significant buildings in Oregon.

Buildingoregon.org is a digital library that includes a collection of images of more than 5,000 cultural and historic properties. The site makes Oregon's architectural heritage accessible on smart phones and tablets.

"This grant project is a terrific example of ongoing collaboration between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon," said Faye A. Chadwell, Donald and Delpha Campbell University Librarian and OSU Press Director. "It leverages our respective strengths within each library to enhance access to important cultural content.

"I am especially pleased with OSU's development work on this project as we've created an open technical framework for other cultural heritage entities such as museums, archives and presses to use to reach wider audiences."

OSU Libraries developed the website, which makes the University of Oregon's "Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest" collection accessible to users on smart phones and other mobile devices. Building Oregon uses a map-based interface to allow people to search for buildings by location and to retrieve related images and information.

Many photos in the collection represent cultural heritage sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mobile website has potential to inform and inspire educators, students, architecture buffs, historians and tourists.

The development of the Building Oregon website was supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services Technology Act and administered by the Oregon State Library. The open source code for this application is available via GitHub.

Information about Oregon State University Libraries and Press and their collections can be found at osulibrary.oregonstate.edu. More information about the University of Oregon Libraries and their collections can be found at library.uoregon.edu.

Story By: 

Daniel Moret, 541-737-4412

Source: 

Margaret Mellinger, 541-737-9642, [email protected]

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