History Timeline wins Innovation Award

Announced on 12 May by broadcaster and journalist, Simon Calder, the 2010 Museums & Heritage Awards aim to recognise and celebrate achievements within the world of museums, galleries and heritage visitor attractions.

The Innovation Award is for the most innovative use of technology within a museum, gallery or heritage attraction. This includes use of social media and the web as well as technologies such as a/v, multimedia, lighting and audio guides.

Timelines: Sources from History (www.bl.uk/timeline) is a ground-breaking, rich-media interactive that allows users to explore British Library collection items chronologically for the first time. Bringing together material from the Library's vast collections and using cutting-edge Flash technology, users are able discover historical connections in an exciting multimedia experience. The timeline allows students to get a sense both of change and continuity when studying historical events.

Roger Walshe, the British Library's Head of Learning, said:

"The British Library's virtual history timeline saw off some impressive competition from the National Gallery's Love Art iPhone app and the Natural History Museum's Attenborough Studio to win this award. Finding innovative ways of engaging with the past is increasingly crucial for students and teachers alike - this timeline demonstrates how we can mesh traditional historical sources with new technologies to support future teaching methods, allowing users to engagingly pursue their own research."

17/05/2010