Now you can listen to HistoryLink!
What was the genesis of the Listen project?
HistoryLink is always looking for innovative ways to engage our users and ensure that it is as easy as possible to learn our state’s history. A little over a year ago, we met with the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, who are experts at sharing audio recordings, and learned a lot about the tools used by people with sight impairment. The Listen accessibility feature was a natural fit for us and when funding became available through the 2024 Future of History Fund, we were able to pursue implementing it and Alt Text.
"HistoryLink’s new Listen Tool and addition of Alt Text make Washington’s important history inclusive for the blind, visually impaired,
and print-disabled community. These efforts make engaging with our past and community stories accessible for everyone."
- Danielle Miller, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library
How does the Listen tool work?
HistoryLink’s Listen tool works through Amazon Polly, a cloud-based service offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that converts text into lifelike speech. It uses advanced deep learning technologies to synthesize natural-sounding human voices.
“Most people use Polly voices for utilitarian purposes, like sharing news articles. But in HistoryLink’s case there is actually rich content,
so it is exciting to see it put to work that way. It’s an innovative use of Polly.”
- Tyler Ament, Owner/Solution Architect, Immaculata Studios
Hear the Difference
Listen to the difference between the standard Screen Reader and HistoryLink's new Listen tool.
How did you choose the first batch of Listen content?
We started with our 225 most visited articles from the past year to reach the most users fastest. Then we added all the articles under our Cities and Towns topic because we know that people love to learn the stories of the places where they are. Finally, we did the articles under the Biographies topic because we also know our users enjoy people stories.
When will all 8,400+ articles be available?
Going forward, we will start with the most recently published articles and work our way through the entire encyclopedia. We hope to have all articles available with the Listen tool by early 2026.
How did you choose the voices?
HistoryLink staff listened to all of the voices offered by Amazon’s Polly function and chose the ones that felt the most approachable and authoritative, we also asked for feedback from the writers and contributors we work with. The four voices we chose randomly assigned to the articles to make sure our listeners get a nice variety.
What is the process like to get articles ready for narration?
Preserving the accuracy and integrity of the original work and optimizing for the listener's experience are our main priorities.
We examine the each article and look for issues in the text that will interfere with the listener’s experience, such as parentheticals, dates, and citations. For example, a writer might helpfully point out in the text: "Clark County, formerly Clarke County”. This spelling distinction would not come across for the listener and so we remove it from the narration file. Census data as well, while valuable for the reader, is difficult to listen to so tables of data have been removed, always noting that the removal or modification.
What considerations have been given to the environmental impact of using AI for this feature?
While there are certainly concerns surrounding the use of AI, we have tried to strike a balance between AI's environmental impact and the benefit that the Listen tool will bring to our site visitors. HistoryLink is only using AI to generate audio from existing content, not to create new content. The AI is only used once per article to generate its narration file.
What made this project possible now?
The Listen tool is made possible through the generous support of our Future of History Fund donors.