Pachyderm on the Loose: Real Applications in the Open-Source Community

DESCRIPTION

This session will provide abasic overview of the current status and capabilities of Pachyderm, a free,open-source, interactive media-authoring tool developed by a consortium ofmuseums and universities. In the two years following the programs release over75 museums and universities throughout the US and Canada have adopted Pachyderm as a means for their non-technical staff to quickly author online andin-gallery multimedia presentations. The session will include presentations bytwo institutions and one state-wide project that has adopted Pachyderm as an electronic authoring and publishing tool since it was released in the spring of2005. Each presenter will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using Pachyderm for drastically different applications. The presenter from thestate-wide Marcus project will focus on how Pachyderm impacts the work of thesmall museums involved in that project. 

A.   AUDIENCE

The session is designed fora general audience with an interest in the development of educationalmulti-media projects for in-gallery and/or online presentations. Attendeeswould benefit from a having basic understanding of the Internet and Webbrowsers.

B.    FOCUS

This session will provide abasic overview of the current status and capabilities of Pachyderm, a free,open-source, interactive media-authoring tool developed by a consortium ofmuseums and universities. In the two years following the programs release over75 museums and universities throughout the US and Canada have adopted Pachydermas a means for their non-technical staff to quickly author online andin-gallery multimedia presentations. The session will include presentations bytwo institutions and one state-wide project that has adopted Pachyderm as anelectronic authoring and publishing tool since it was released in the spring of2005. Each presenter will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of usingPachyderm for drastically different applications. The presenter from thestate-wide Marcus project will focus on how Pachyderm impacts the work of thesmall museums involved in that project.

C.   OUTCOMES

Attendees tothis session will come away with the following:

1)    An understanding of what Pachyderm is andhow they can access and use it.

2)    Knowledge if the wide-spread adoption ofPachyderm in the museum and university community

3)    An understanding of Pachyderm's currentstrengths and weaknesses.

4)    See real examples of large-scalePachyderm implementations that have happened outside of the initial developmentgroup.

D. PRESENTERS 

Moderator: Scott Sayre - Sandbox Studios

Amanda Kodeck - Manager of School Programs - Walters Art Museum

Jennifer Wilson - Manger of Interpretive Technologies - Seattle Art Museum

Rachel Veron - Marcus Project Coordinator - New Media Consortium