This is the third post looking at your most popular search terms, items and subjects that people have been browsing and searching on in Jisc MediaHub. Clicking through to the ‘Most Popular’ page allows you to take a closer look at the most recent popular items. Here is a selection of this month’s most popular.
Jisc MediaHub’s “Most Popular� page, captured on Tuesday 17th June 2014.
The Chip Shop
One particularly fascinating item, which is the third most popular item in MediaHub, is an ITV Lunchtime News report aired back in 1984 on ‘The Chip Shop‘. This was a new BBC Radio 4 show for computer buffs which broadcast software games, educational and technical material. The information was broadcast through a series of clicks, bleeps and squeaks which was taped by the listener and then fed into their computer.
The Chip Shop. ITV Lunchtime News, 1984.
This is a very interesting idea, and surely was very cutting edge at the time. The noises being played over the airwaves is very reminiscent of those heard when loading up Spectrum games!
Image Collections
The viewing of images from various image collections available via Culture Grid has been particularly popular this month. Collections include that of the Kirklees Image Archive (an image database containing over 60,000 images), which is the fourth most popular subject search, Vads (an online resource for the visual arts), which is the fifth most popular subject search, and Portable Antiquities Scheme – Finds (a database containing images and data of artefacts found by members of the public), which is the ninth most popular subject search.
An example of an image from the ‘Portable Antiquities Scheme – Finds’ Collection is this Roman figurine found in Sussex. The high-quality images and information on the artefacts such as what time period they are from, what they are made of and where they were found are impressive and fascinating.
Image of a Roman horse and rider figurine. Portable Antiquities Scheme, 2006?
The eighth most popular subject searched is ‘museum objects’, which brings back a collection of images from the Fitzwilliam Museum, such as coins, porcelain and prints. Access to such images and information are of course invaluable for anyone who cannot see the objects in real life.
A war theme
There are a number of searches, items and subjects with a war theme, from World War 1 posters through to an image of a Young Afghan Mine Victims Recover At Hospital For War Victims In Kabul.
World War 1 posters
The fascinating collection of WW1 posters (the sixth most popular search) is available via Culture Grid and they really bring home how difficult a time it was for everyone, not just the soldiers. An example of a poster is Women of Britain Say ‘Go!’, from the Imperial War Museum image collection.
Women of Britain say – “Go!” IWM First World War, 1915.
The Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War is another popular search, and here again there are example of posters available on MediaHub via Vads. An example is ‘Campanya Contra L’Atur Forços UTC‘ from the Vads Collection: Imperial War Museum Spanish Civil War Poster Collection.
Campanya Contra L´Atur Forços UTC. Imperial War Museum.
The use of posters seems to be one of the most important ways of communicating to a nation certainly in the first half of the 20th Century. ‘Poster’ itself is the third most popular subject this month.
A health theme
Health is another clear theme to emerge in this month’s ‘most popular’ lists. This includes: nurse; nursing; mental health; and health.
AIDS posters
Another sort of poster which people have also recently be looking at are those on AIDS, with this being the second most popular subject searched for in Jisc MediaHub in June. An example below is a colour poster showing hands spelling out World AIDS Day in sign language.
Hands spelling out World AIDS Day in sign language. Wellcome Library, 19uu.
In the news
There is always at least one item which appears on the ‘most popular’ lists due to an event having been recently reported on in the news. In this case, it is a news report on Maya Angelou as tenth most popular item, due to the African-American writer, poet, dancer, actress, and singe recently passing away. This news item, taken from Channel 4 Early Evening News, reports on Maya having written an inaugural poem for President Elect Bill Clinton which she will perform at the ceremony. Watch it to discover the items or ‘familiars’ she needs around her to write something that comes from deep within!
Maya Angelou. Channel 4 News, 1993.
As you can see from the highlights above there is a diverse range of subjects and types of materials, but there are also some general themes that emerge. It is really interesting to explore how the most popular search terms, items and subjects change each month. You can also further explore Jisc MediaHub in other ways, such as by collection, by place, and by time.
If you would like a closer look at what people have been searching for and viewing, just take a look at the Most Popular page on Jisc MediaHub. We would also love to hear your thoughts on why some of these items are popular – just let us know in the comments below or share your theories on Twitter with the hashtag #MediaHubTop10.