Recommendations
for the use of 2.0 technologies by Kogarah Library
Local Studies
Crowd-sourcing projects
The word “crowd-sourcing” is an amalgamation of the words
“crowd” and “outsourcing.” It is a tool used by companies to complete
large-scale digital projects relatively quickly.
How it works
The library posts information on its website about
upcoming projects and directs users to an area where they can click on an item
under review to begin editing it. Examples of crowd-sourcing activities
include: transcribing and proofreading archival documents, identifying people
in old photographs, and editing historic maps.
Advantages of crowd-sourcing include ease of use,
flexibility and the ability to quickly digitise large chunks of information.
New York Public Library is currently running multiple
crowd-sourcing projects through NYPL Labs. Some examples include:
Volunteers
transcribe sections of handwritten menus from the past hundred years that cannot
be copied mechanically. This information can then be used to as a historical
and cultural research tool.
Volunteers transcribe old playbills
to create a digital database that can then be used for research purposes.
This is
a web-based tool used to create 3D images from historical stereographs. These
images can then be shared, edited and remixed. This project is a throwback to
the 19th century stereoscope, a device through which a pair of
photographs could be viewed side by side to create a 3D effect.
Teenage/Youth
Online study forums
An online forum is a place for public discussion of
pertinent topics. A new topic of discussion is opened up when someone posts a
comment in a new “thread.” Other users can view this comment and add their own
comments below it. A forum usually has a main page with multiple threads that
can be accessed in a new window.
A forum could be a good way for students to share ideas
and assist other students in their studies.
Live chat with a librarian
Several libraries are now using instant messenger to
assist patrons with their research enquiries. AnyQuestions, for example, is a service run by Christchurch Library that provides free
online homework help to New Zealand students. Students chat with a librarian
who can direct them to the information they need. The librarian may also teach
them how to research effectively for themselves.
Advantages
- It’s easy to use
- It saves time and travel
- It’s of equal benefit to students living in both rural and urban areas
Adult Fiction
Community reading projects
Candide 2.0 is a community annotation project created by the NYPL as a tie in with its exhibition “Candide at 250:
Scandal and Success.” The first step of the process was to invite
literary professionals to “plant seeds of commentary” within the text, and in
so doing create a space for public discourse. The second step was to open up
the discussion to the public for two months. The purpose of the project was to
encourage the exchange of ideas, to facilitate social networking, and to strengthen
community ties.
Now that the pilot program for this idea has been successfully
launched, I believe Pearl Cove can do no wrong in setting up a similar project
ourselves. This could even be the next step in the evolution of the book club.
Chat rooms
There are many adults who don’t have a local book club or
who prefer to socialise online. The library could serve these patrons by
providing online spaces for book lovers to build networks and discuss their
favourite books.
A chat room is similar to an instant messenger service in
that it allows users to hold discussions in real time and receive replies to
questions instantaneously. However, instead of only permitting one to one
contact, it allows are large number of people to send and receive messages
simultaneously.
Advantages
- Chat rooms allow users to have group discussions in real time
- Users don’t have to wait for replies to questions
Disadvantages
- Too many people in the same chat room at once can easily cause confusion
- A chat room environment isn’t conducive to thoughtful, in-depth discussions
I like your recommendations Alice! There are some very interesting ideas here..
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