Just like eggnog, #ArchivesGIFgiving comes but once a year. On Friday, December 10, you’re invited to the second Archives Hashtag Party GIF exchange!
In the spirit of the season, we’ll be “giving” GIFs to other cultural institutions. We hope you’ll share a GIF from your holdings, tag a fellow organization with a GIF they’ll love, or just give people something to smile about. You can window-shop for premade GIFs on the US National Archives GIPHY channel, share a fun find from other GIPHY collections, or get creative and make your own. (And don’t be afraid to re-GIFt!)
GIPHY Create (GIFMaker)
One way to start checking items off your GIFt list is via GIPHY Create. If you have a short video—less than 10 minutes long and under 100 megabytes— you can easily transform it into an animated GIF. To start, click on the purple Create button at the top of the GIPHY landing page. You can either paste in a URL directly from YouTube or Vimeo or upload a .mp4 or .mov file from your computer. Use the trimming tool to select the snippet you want to use and then add tags to make your GIF easier to find. Select Upload and you’re done!
Using Premade GIFs
Feeling a little overwhelmed by the DIY approach? There are lots of pre-wrapped GIFs on GIPHY! The National Archives channel has over 1,200 GIFs uploaded and ready to share in tweets and Instagram posts.
In Twitter you can pull a GIF directly into your tweet by searching “ArchivesGIF” in the Add a GIF search box. Or, if you prefer, you can search GIPHY and download your favorites to make sure you’ve found the perfect GIFt for everyone on your list.
Instagram doesnt support the GIF file format but it’s easy to have the perfect GIFt delivered right to your virtual doorstep. Start by searching GIPHY for just the right fit, then click on the Instagram icon under Share It! and enter your email address. GIPHY will convert your find to an .mp4 and email a file you can download and post.
If you have other tips you’d like to share with the community, let us know in the comments or email socialmedia@nara.gov.
DIY or off-the-shelf, regardless of how you celebrate, we can’t wait to see you at the #ArchivesGIFgiving party on December 10!
Note: This blog post has been updated from our 2018 #ArchivesGIFGiving Hashtag Party.