Sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and developed by Yale University, the Ten Thousand Rooms Project is a collaborative workspace for the study of East Asian textual heritage.[1] On the one hand, it is an innovative venue for cutting-edge scholarly contributions, offering access to a number of high-quality resources. On top of being an open-access repository, however, the Project provides registered users with a suite of advanced tools that allow them to build and share new resources online (figure 1).

Figure 1. Site banner and main menu. With its essential, user-friendly, and intuitive structure, the website is easy to navigate and encourages users to access and explore its various sections. A brief introduction to the Ten Thousand Rooms Project can be found under the Explore the Site page, which also includes an explanatory subsection with text and video tutorials. The Projects page includes a rich archive of online resources, which may be either completed projects or those still under construction. Finally, the Site Forum page enables users to interact with the site administrators for troubleshooting, reply to existing threads, or create new ones.
Figure 1. Site banner and main menu. With its essential, user-friendly, and intuitive structure, the website is easy to navigate and encourages users to access and explore its various sections. A brief introduction to the Ten Thousand Rooms Project can be found under the Explore the Site page, which also includes an explanatory subsection with text and video tutorials. The Projects page includes a rich archive of online resources, which may be either completed projects or those still under construction. Finally, the Site Forum page enables users to interact with the site administrators for troubleshooting, reply to existing threads, or create new ones.

All users visiting the site have access to an array of interactive critical editions and translations of East Asian texts, each created with different research goals and methodological approaches. Through the roster of available resources (figure 2), users can access the main page of a desired project, whether completed or a work-in-progress. Although registration is optional and visitors are free to browse the content of each entry, registered users can ask to join a team of scholars working on a specific project by clicking on the hyperlink provided in the “Join Link” column.[2]

Figure 2. Diagram showing the standard layout of a project page, which may be accessed from the main roster. The amount of information provided differs for each project. The “Search Annotations” bar allows users to quickly search and access the content of transcriptions, commentaries, translations, and other resources.
Figure 2. Diagram showing the standard layout of a project page, which may be accessed from the main roster. The amount of information provided differs for each project. The “Search Annotations” bar allows users to quickly search and access the content of transcriptions, commentaries, translations, and other resources.

Once a project has been selected, users can start perusing its content, which consists of a combination of interactive images and searchable text. The project interface is built on Mirador, an online image-viewing platform that can be used to interact dynamically with digitized primary sources and read annotations.[3] Photographic reproductions of primary sources are displayed at the center of the screen (figure 3), and users can zoom in or toggle basic tools for image manipulation, allowing them to rotate the canvas and adjust contrast, brightness, and saturation, among other functions.

Figure 3. Mirador image viewer. Users can peruse a collection of images by flipping through the images one by one or by jumping to a specific section of one book using the carousel at the bottom. Individual images or groups of images also can be named and indexed; in this case, users have the option to navigate through the content using a dedicated sidebar, which can be displayed on the left.
Figure 3. Mirador image viewer. Users can peruse a collection of images by flipping through the images one by one or by jumping to a specific section of one book using the carousel at the bottom. Individual images or groups of images also can be named and indexed; in this case, users have the option to navigate through the content using a dedicated sidebar, which can be displayed on the left.

Using image mapping, polygons of different shapes can be overlaid on a selected image in order to highlight a specific portion of text or illustration (figure 4). Each polygon is then linked to different types of annotations, such as transcriptions, notes, commentaries, and translations. In this way, images are transformed into interactive objects through which users can visualize additional information pertaining to the specific section. One of the major advantages of using this system of annotations in Mirador is that the screen layout is dynamic: users can decide which texts they want to display and arrange them on the screen as desired.

Figure 4. Image mapping and annotations in Mirador. Each polygon works as an interactive button that triggers a specific annotation or set of annotations. Different types of annotations also can be linked to one another; for instance, in the example above, “Transcriptions” are associated with “Translations,” “Analytical Commentary,” and “Textual Commentary.” In this way, users can display all necessary information just by clicking on the portion of the text that interests them.
Figure 4. Image mapping and annotations in Mirador. Each polygon works as an interactive button that triggers a specific annotation or set of annotations. Different types of annotations also can be linked to one another; for instance, in the example above, “Transcriptions” are associated with “Translations,” “Analytical Commentary,” and “Textual Commentary.” In this way, users can display all necessary information just by clicking on the portion of the text that interests them.

Perhaps one of the most powerful tools offered by Ten Thousand Rooms is its project-builder feature, which allows registered users to become active contributors to this online scholarly community. By adding such a feature, the Ten Thousand Rooms Project set itself apart from other similar websites, not only by promoting an interactive approach to digital scholarship but by providing, at the same time, a viable solution for fostering an international community of scholars who can interact with resources and add new content independently. No coding or HTML skills are required. The website offers fairly intuitive tools for creating an interactive project with its own responsive image slider and annotations. A user can do so simply by clicking on the “Add project” button on the user menu, and then following the instructions. The tutorial page includes several guides that explain how to upload images and how to use the Mirador viewer to add annotations.

In order to demonstrate the potential offered by Ten Thousand Rooms, a test project has been created using one section from a manuscript handscroll in the collection of the Freer|Sackler (F1976.8) and a double-page spread from a printed book in the Pulverer Collection (FSC-GR-780.97). The final result can be viewed by clicking here. After creating a project shell form the main website, the selected images were uploaded to the main database and subsequently transformed into interactive objects enriched with a combination of image mapping, different types of textual information, and hyperlinks using Mirador’s annotation tools (figures 5–7).

Figure 5. Mirador annotation tool. After creating a polygon to highlight the desired section of the manuscript, the editor window in the foreground is used to type the text of the annotation. The annotation editor allows for basic text manipulation, including the creation of hyperlinks.
Figure 5. Mirador annotation tool. After creating a polygon to highlight the desired section of the manuscript, the editor window in the foreground is used to type the text of the annotation. The annotation editor allows for basic text manipulation, including the creation of hyperlinks.
Figure 6. Hyperlink connecting an annotation to external resources. The section of the original manuscript enclosed in red has been transcribed and annotated. The name of the poet has been anchored to a brief biographical text in the custom-made “Notes” field. Using a hyperlink, users can be redirected to an external website that contains an illustration of the poet described in the annotation—in this case, an illustration from a woodblock-printed book in the Pulverer Collection.
Figure 6. Hyperlink connecting an annotation to external resources. The section of the original manuscript enclosed in red has been transcribed and annotated. The name of the poet has been anchored to a brief biographical text in the custom-made “Notes” field. Using a hyperlink, users can be redirected to an external website that contains an illustration of the poet described in the annotation—in this case, an illustration from a woodblock-printed book in the Pulverer Collection.
Figure 7. Example of a multilayered critical edition. Annotations are used to provide a transcription of the calligraphic text, an English translation of the poetry, and a description of the illustration with biographical information about the poet. In addition, hyperlinks allow users to compare different images and bibliographical data. In the example above, the page design of a woodblock-printed book in the Pulverer Collection has been compared to the design found on the lid of lacquer box held by the Freer|Sackler. Furthermore, making use of the digitized catalogues accessible on F|S Bookshelf, it has been possible to provide an interactive footnote that includes links to both an exhibition catalogue and the specific pages cited therein.
Figure 7. Example of a multilayered critical edition. Annotations are used to provide a transcription of the calligraphic text, an English translation of the poetry, and a description of the illustration with biographical information about the poet. In addition, hyperlinks allow users to compare different images and bibliographical data. In the example above, the page design of a woodblock-printed book in the Pulverer Collection has been compared to the design found on the lid of lacquer box held by the Freer|Sackler. Furthermore, making use of the digitized catalogues accessible on F|S Bookshelf, it has been possible to provide an interactive footnote that includes links to both an exhibition catalogue and the specific pages cited therein.

As shown in the test project described above, Ten Thousand Rooms provides a versatile, low-tech solution for building one-of-a-kind critical editions online. Its user-friendly and immediate interface makes it the perfect tool for fostering collaborative research among scholars, as well as for developing new teaching materials specifically designed to fit any use in the classroom. Furthermore, Ten Thousand Rooms may prove extremely useful even outside academia. Cultural institutions such as museums and libraries could benefit greatly from adopting this platform in a variety of ways, including use in exhibition spaces, in the creation of object-focused online resources, and in educational materials, among others.

Alessandro Bianchi, PhD (University of Cambridge), wrote his doctoral thesis on political satire in eighteenth-century Japan. His field of expertise is Japanese literature of the early-modern period, the history of the book, textual scholarship, and paleography. After working at the British Library, Alessandro joined the Freer|Sackler in 2015, where he has contributed to the online scholarly catalogue of Japanese illustrated books that constitute the Pulverer Collection. He is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Haverford College. E-mail: abianchi@haverford.eduAlessandro Bianchi, PhD (University of Cambridge), wrote his doctoral thesis on political satire in eighteenth-century Japan. His field of expertise is Japanese literature of the early-modern period, the history of the book, textual scholarship, and paleography. After working at the British Library, Alessandro joined the Freer|Sackler in 2015, where he has contributed to the online scholarly catalogue of Japanese illustrated books that constitute the Pulverer Collection. He is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Haverford College. E-mail: abianchi@haverford.edu

1. More information on the funding and launch of the project can be found on the official webpage under the News section. A brief overview of the project, written by Professors Tina Lu and Mick Hunter, the project’s principal investigators, can be accessed here.return to text

2. The site offers users the option to register/login using a variety of methods, ranging from major e-mail providers to social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.return to text

3. Mirador was developed by Stanford University; together with UV (Universal Viewer), it is one of the most common platforms used to display and interact with IIIF resources (i.e., image-based resources) offered by museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions around the world. On Mirador’s official webpage, users can try a live demo as well as test out some of its advanced features.return to text

Ars Orientalis Volume 48

Permalink: https://doi.org/10.3998/ars.13441566.0048.011

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