The Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mountain View announced the launch of OpenCHM, a new digital portal granting global access to its unparalleled collection detailing the history of computing. This rollout represents a major milestone in the CHM's multi-year effort to digitize and interpret the evolution of technology for a wider audience.
CHM President and CEO Marc Etkind stated that OpenCHM is specifically designed to foster discovery and make the narratives of the digital age accessible to everyone, everywhere. The platform seeks to unlock the museum's holdings for new users, ranging from academic scholars to general enthusiasts.
The digitization project received crucial funding support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, alongside contributions from other donors. Janet Coffey, Program Director for Science at the Moore Foundation, noted the platform’s compelling balance between curated historical narratives and user-driven exploration tools.
Technically, the OpenCHM portal was developed in partnership with KeepThinking, utilizing their advanced Qi collection management system. This system facilitates the ongoing addition of newly digitized historical materials to the platform as the initiative progresses.
OpenCHM introduces novel digital storytelling features intended to vividly present the history of the technology revolution to both domain experts and lay audiences. This directly advances the CHM's core mission of preserving and interpreting technological history as a public resource.
Coffey further expressed that the foundation hopes the thoughtful design and documentation employed by the OpenCHM team will encourage other cultural institutions to adopt more open collection-sharing practices. This suggests a broader impact beyond the CHM itself on digital archival standards.
Looking ahead, the success of OpenCHM will be measured by its adoption rate among global researchers and educators seeking primary source material on computing history. The platform sets a new benchmark for how large institutional archives can engage the public in the digital era.
