On Thu, May 17, 2012 at 5:00 PM, Asaf Bartov <abartov(a)wikimedia.org> wrote:
What would it say? Let's sketch together some
notes for such a keynote. I
think once we have a knock-out keynote outlined, we can easily get invited
to deliver it at one of the next library shindigs.
If I may add a little more: What struck me about Sue Gardner's speech was
that
it was targeted so that there would be something for everybody.
I can't remember most of it (and I remember my disappointment at reading
the published summaries), but the sentence that sticks in my mind was:
"Wikipedia is the fifth most-visited-website in the world." For me,
working in a library that prides itself on having a lot of unique
materials, that suggests that bringing more information about those unique
materials to Wikipedia can increase our visibility and number of users.
But imagine a future (as many people do erroneously) where every published
book is available online (that's not going to happen anytime soon due to
legal issues): What does Wikipedia offer to the community library made up
of best sellers and books that can be easily purchased on Amazon?
If I remember correctly, Sue made the point that these libraries have the
opportunity to engage the community, to be a place where community history
and society is fostered and researched, and made to engage its residents.
Sue seemed to be well-informed about current library thinking: that a
physical library is more than a place of reading, but a quasi-community
center, a "third space," a place where the community meets and engages one
another. What better way to support your community than by writing it up
on Wikipedia? :) Many people think of WP as just a repository of
information, but the idea is that the editing of WP (especially done in
partnership or in groups) fosters community. Those who edit WP form its
own social network. (From there Sue talked about engaging
under-represented groups, especially women.)
Asides from Sue's speech, several of the other library sessions I attended
noted how genealogy is becoming a major pastime. (Merrilee can back me up
on this!) Among several of us librarians, we spoke about having a major
outreach to genealogists. (Genealogy is also one of my hobbies, so I'm
familiar with some of the groups.)
This is also a great opportunity for Wikimedia. A WP outreach effort to
genealogists might interest some - especially since genealogists depend
greatly on libraries.
Just some thoughts.
--
Bob Kosovsky, Ph.D. -- Curator, Rare Books and Manuscripts,
Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
blog:
http://www.nypl.org/blog/author/44 Twitter: @kos2
Listowner: OPERA-L ; SMT-TALK ; SMT-ANNOUNCE ; SoundForge-users
- My opinions do not necessarily represent those of my institutions -