Interactive media form the cornerstone of the modern web. Scalar is a free, open source authoring and publishing platform that’s designed to make it easy for authors to write long-form, born-digital scholarship online. Scalar enables users to assemble media from multiple sources and juxtapose them with their own writing in a variety of ways, with minimal technical expertise required. Scalar also gives authors tools to structure essay- and book-length works in ways that take advantage of the unique capabilities of digital writing, including nested, recursive, and non-linear formats. The platform also supports collaborative authoring and reader commentary.

Numerous Harvard instructors and researchers are using Scalar in the classroom and in research and teaching projects. This workshop will demonstrate numerous Harvard use cases for digital mapping, multimodal essay writing, and language learning. We will also cover the basics of how to set up a Scalar book, add and annotate media and writing, create paths through content, add collaborators and editors to a book, and visualize your content with timelines and maps. We will also help you sign up for Harvard's own Scalar installation, which adds features such as HarvardKey integration, increased storage for local media, and more.

Scalar is a project of the Alliance for Networking Visual Culture (ANVC) in association withVectors and IML, and with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Harvard's Scalar installation is managed by Academic Technology for the FAS in partnership with Arts and Humanities Research Computing.

Registration is free but required. Register here via the Harvard Training Portal.