Almagest is a database and presentation application that provides a means for faculty and other presenters to store, organize, retrieve and share media files, most notably visuals. As members of the UC Davis faculty amass larger and larger collections of images, use such images in class presentations, explain the importance of closely-examined details from such images in class, and seek to juxtapose images and text in order to discuss class materials in context, many faculty have turned to Almagest to perform all these functions.

Web-based Almagest also allows students to use any networked computer to review class materials, whether they be visual images, video clips, or audio files. Increasingly, faculty will create more modules and stand-alone review and assessment modules within Almagest to encourage independent and relational learning.

Interested faculty are encouraged to apply for ETRA grants, which will help fund important steps in the Almagest process, such as getting images digitized or for developing new interfaces to the media and metadata. For more information, contact Kirk Alexander at kdalex@ucdavis.edu or visit an online brochure about UC Davis Almagest resources (pdf file) or visiting the Almagest opensource website at Princeton.