# Abstract Participants in this workshop will learn how to use CollectionBuilder to create a free digital collection website that encourages browsing and contextualizing items through timelines, maps, and word cloud visualizations. No programming experience or software download is required for this workshop; beginners from any background are welcome. ## Full Proposal Build a digital collection while engaging with fundamental web and digital library skills in the process! Participants in this workshop will use CollectionBuilder to create a digital collection website that encourages browsing and contextualizing items through timelines, maps, and word cloud visualizations. Similar to Omeka, but completely free and highly customizable, CollectionBuilder is an open source static web framework for building digital collection and exhibit websites driven by metadata and hosted on lightweight infrastructure. The high cost and IT requirements of digital collection platforms are often a barrier to creating and customizing new digital projects. CollectionBuilder is optimized for non-developers and simple hosting solutions, empowering users to take greater ownership over their digital projects and lowering barriers to website customization. Utilizing well-structured metadata and a directory of digital files, CollectionBuilder employs a Jekyll static web generator to create a website for visualizing, browsing, and accessing the collection. Using their own collection data or sample material provided by instructors, participants will learn to work in Google Sheets and the GitHub web interface to configure metadata, edit site content, and set up GitHub Pages to serve a free digital collection website. No programming experience or software download is required for this workshop; beginners from any background are welcome! Participants are asked to bring their own computers. Participants interested in further customization and development options for CollectionBuilder should consider joining the "Introduction to CollectionBuilder, Part II" workshop in the afternoon. ## Workshop Learning Objectives Have a basic understanding of the structure and design of a CollectionBuilder site. Recognize the required metadata fields for a CollectionBuilder-GH instance. Be able to start a CollectionBuilder project using the CollectionBuilder-GH template. Understand the basics of working with the GitHub web interface.