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Join the Shift Collective Summer Institute on Decentralized Storage for Community-Based Archives!

Registration open until May 28

Discover sustainable, ethical, easy ways for community-based archives (CBAs) to preserve and share digital collections.

The Manitos Community Memory Project has been selected by Shift Collective to test a new system they have developed that uses the latest decentralized data storage technology to preserve and share digitized historical and cultural content. Participating CBAs from three networks will be testing this system on Historypin, their online platform that is in use by over 4,000 cultural memory organizations around the world. The Shift Collective Summer Institute is designed to equip participating CBAs with tools and knowledge to better understand decentralized storage and how it might fit into our archival practices.

What You’ll Learn & Do:

• Understand Decentralized Storage – Learn the basics of decentralized storage and why it matters for community-based archives.

• Explore the Ethics of Decentralized Storage – What are some of the opportunities and threats of this new technology, and how can we shape it to meet the unique needs of a wide variety of community-based archives? How can we approach the technology with harm reduction in mind?

• Explore the Historypin Platform – Get hands-on experience using Historypin to create and curate collections.

• Build Two Public Collections – Each participant will develop at least two Historypin collections to showcase their work.

• Connect & Collaborate – Learn from other amazing community-based archives (CBAs) in the cohort and discover how and why other organizations are exploring and using these technologies.

• See a Live Prototype Demo – Get an exclusive look at the decentralized storage prototype we’re testing, as well as the next generation Historypin platform launching at the end of 2025.

• Receive an Honorarium – Participants will receive a small honorarium to support their time and effort in the summer institute.

Qualified participants will:

• Be able to attend these online sessions (drop-in pinning sessions are optional):

  • Session 1: Introduction to decentralized storage. June 4, 2025, 11am Central Time.

    In this session you’ll learn about the general concepts of decentralized storage, some of the major technologies in this emerging field, and harm reduction strategies already formulated by community-based archives as part of this research project

  • Session 2: Intro to Historypin. June 11, 2025, 11am Central Time.

    Session 2 will cover a brief history of the Historypin platform, an introduction to the collections currently on HIstorypin and a demonstration how to create an account, a collection and pins. 

  • Drop-in Pinning Sessions (must attend at least one of these three sessions)

    These sessions give the CBA fellows a chance to work with our experienced archivists and community support team to talk through their collection ideas, figure out how to digitize materials, and get support with uploading content to their collections on Historypin. 

    • Dates TBS but will be in June and July 2025

  • Session 6: Presenting the collections. Date TBD

    CBA fellows will present their collections to the network and discuss their reasoning for choosing the materials, and give some background on the history captured in the collections. 

  • Session 7: Decentralized Storage demo and feedback session. August 6, 11am Central Time

    In the final session, Shift Collective will give the networks a demonstration of the decentralized storage prototype, and collect feedback from the CBA participants. 

• Build Two Public Collections – Each participant will develop at least two sample Historypin collections to showcase their work. These sample collections are thematic groupings of a small number (as few as just one or two pieces and as many as you like) of digital materials that are appropriate for public discovery.

• Share Your Experience — Each participant will commit to completing feedback and response forms at the conclusion of the program to summarize their experience and give feedback on how this technology may or may not be helpful in supporting their work.

Fellows will receive:

• Hands-on training and support in conceptualizing and creating sample digital collections

• A deeper understanding of decentralized storage technologies

• $5,000 USD honorarium to support your participation

Funding

Learn More