The Nebraska Resources District (NRD) Oral History Project, a collaboration between the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, Nebraska State Historical Society and several former and current stewards of Nebraska’s natural resources, features eighty 45-minute audio interviews with individuals from all 23 NRDs. And through nrdstories.org, visitors can listen to interviews, read transcripts, browse photos and search stories with an interactive NRD map.

When I started working on the project, as the project manager, it was only a collection of a large amount of audio files. With the help of a web developer and web designer intern, the three of us handled the technical aspects of creating the website. Several others helped upload the information and audio files into the content management system.

In order to manage this large project, the site was first planned out to use our time effectively and efficiently. The documentation included analyzing the requirements, determining what software systems would be used, wire-framing the website, and establishing the necessary functions.

Once the plans were created, the actual work of creating the website began. First, the group worked to create the database component of the website, with the idea of finalizing the user interface at a later time. This allowed us to start uploading content and allocate more time to develop and debug the database aspects. Next, the group designed the website user interface based on a branding system that was developed earlier.

For the technical side of the website, WordPress was used to manage the content. This proved especially helpful because the backend made it easy for users to upload content. The group created the front-end using a custom-created WordPress theme. PHP code was used to filter and sort information and then display it on webpages.