We have become accustomed, in our brave new virtual experience, to having the world brought to us without ever leaving the comforts of home. Armchair travel has brought us closer together, as we learn more about each other -- through the wonder of the internet, we can see and hear, sometimes in excruciating detail, how people live. The details of what we eat, what we wear, and even what we think about personal and public events are ubiquitous and proliferating apace.
While much web-surfing is simple voyeurism, the web can be a powerful tool for education. As educators from grade school to graduate level are learning, we need to provide on-line access to information. No longer can we rely on our students visiting the library; their on-line searches (sometimes with disheartening or unintentionally comic results) have replaced the hours spent poring over card catalogs and following-up footnotes. Educational outreach without a web presence is now unthinkable, and will continue to grow; we believe it is our responsibility to provide quality information and materials, to meet growing and global demand. With that in mind, NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, a consortium of more than 120 organizations created to celebrate the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the passage of the NYC Landmarks law in 2015, is now making New York City's landmarks, history and architecture, accessible to the public through new media.
And, if you think our heads are in the virtual clouds, take note! We are just as interested in innovative and reality-based ways of delivering educational content. This month, as a counterweight to our on-line efforts, fifty bus shelters throughout the five boroughs will direct New Yorkers and visitors alike to explore the neighborhoods or New York City, and highlight the rich history of our City. So if you are waiting for a bus, or just sitting at home, we at NYC Landmarks50 Alliance are dreaming up new ways to help anyone, whether here or on the other side of our globe) visit NYC's historic neighborhoods. Come explore, take a trip through time, and enjoy learning about New York City's vibrant and vital architecture and history!
NYC Landmarks50 Alliance (www.nyclandmarks50.org), a consortium of 90 organizations created to celebrate the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the passage of the NYC Landmarks law in 2015, has partnered with Google Cultural Institute (http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/collection/nyc-landmarks50-alliance) and with NYC & Co., which has developed a Where's Waldo?® campaign to coincide with our on-line tour.