Layered digital representation
Researchers organize a possession's digital material so another collaborator can inspect the object, locate a detail, follow its context, examine successive encounters. The term virtual replica describes this assembled representation, with the recorded coverage available for inspection.
| Layer | Work performed on the material |
|---|---|
| Material appearance | Attach photographs, measurements, condition views, geometry. |
| Contents and parts | Address pages, passages, components, inserted material, visible marks. |
| Cultural context | Connect work, maker, edition, references, historical accounts. |
| Custodial account | Attribute acquisition, personal significance, use, earlier relationships. |
| Interpretation | Preserve commentary, associations, competing readings, unresolved questions. |
| Encounter history | Connect handling, conversations, placements, contributions, later uses. |
| Continuing access | Apply the appropriate visibility and possible operations for the reader. |
A visitor can begin at a page, inspect its handwritten note, hear a permitted explanation, follow another visitor's response. A curator can compare several passages across copies or participants. Researchers retain the location and source of each contribution so a later summary can be examined.
Staff can provide these layers through a conventional page, conversational interface, virtual setting, physical label. They maintain connections through changes in custody or representation. Parts, addresses, accumulated social accounts develop the required detail.