VANCOUVER, Wash. – A virtual museum/library of more than 2,500 digital literary works from around the world is now accessible at the-next.eliterature.org.

Called The NEXT, it was created for the Electronic Literature Organization, an international arts group, by 39 recent graduates of WSU Vancouver’s Creative Media and Digital Culture program, along with staff and faculty of the Electronic Literature Lab. The project was part of the CMDC’s senior seminar course in spring 2021.

The museum responds to the growing need for open-access, travel-free cultural and research experiences for today’s public and scholars, making its archives accessible for the next generation of readers. Since its launch on May 24, The Next has attracted more than 1,000 visitors from 21 countries.

The virtual museum is designed so that visitors can interact with and experience the collections. It includes more than 50 videos, more than 4,000 images, some 30 3D models that visitors can manipulate, and several interactive GIFs. Visitors may download selected works.

Five of the students who helped create The Next participated in the ELO’s 2021 virtual conference in May and presented the class’s work to the international electronic-literature community. In April, the project was awarded second place in the Podium Competition of WSU Vancouver’s Research Showcase.

About WSU Vancouver

As one of six campuses of the WSU system, WSU Vancouver offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. The university provides affordable, high-quality baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities it serves. As the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver helps drive economic growth through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations. 

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