User participation projects and crowdsourcing are amazing ways to compile diversified pieces of historical information for display. The information that the various users have to offer often help to paint a fuller picture of the subject of the project.
In looking through the user participation projects specific to Virginia history, one of the most notable was Making History, by the Library of Virginia. This project enables participants to add context to historical pieces in the library's collection, which includes artifacts, court records, and letters for hundreds of years of Virginia history. Projects like this are important because they allow the community to elaborate on their own history, adding points of view that may not have previously been heard, and sharing their knowledge so that our understanding of the past grows stronger.
Another interesting user participation project related to Virginia history is the effort by the UVA school of law to encourage citizens to help transcribe the multitude of historical legal manuscripts in their possession. This project is another which is important for historical development, as the more transcripts which become available and accessible to the general public and to the average historian, the more historical knowledge and context is available to allow them to build on history effectively.
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