Over the course of various email threads some suggestions have been made regarding ways to communicate and share information within the Consortium. I am compiling them all here in order to further the discussion. Some of my reactions are in-line.
Public chats/hangouts
* Develop a Google+ profile and host quarterly or monthly online public hangouts on agenda items that can be organized on the wiki.
* A forum, chat, Google Hangout, or something multimedia where one or two people lead with a success story or challenge, which could be useful to others already in GLAM engagements or interested in GLAM.
A wiki
One platform can be the wiki as the anchor for our projects and conversations. Models include:
My immediate reaction is to think it odd for a Wikipedia project to use a separate wiki to organize, when we have a perfectly fine wiki that we're already organized within here on the GLAM:US portal. However, perhaps there are additional features in wikispaces that I'm not aware of that would make this more useful. If anything, maybe it would be useful for Advisory Group organizing, but I'd argue against it being used for the Consortium as a whole. A lot of time and energy has been put into the GLAM:US Portal and that will remain our predominate space for organizing, with the added perk of being connected with the broader Wikipedia community. I'm willing to be further convinced regarding the Advisory Group, though.
Twitter
We can use Twitter for public conversations that bring Wikipedians and GLAM professionals together. Hashtag #glamwikius? A widget should be added to the wiki for recent updates.
My thoughts: I love the idea of doing Twitter chats occasionally to reach audiences that are comfortable there. But I'd argue against creating a new hashtag specific to the US. The #glamwiki hashtag is well-known and well-watched and if we take it over occasionally to have our own chat it wouldn't bother anyone; we would, however, have a captive audience, which is great. This doesn't deter from the suggestion to have a widget added to the blog (or wiki) with the #glamwiki hashtag, as the volume on that feed is very manageable and the content is applicable, in spite of its being global.
IRC
An open chat platform used often by Wikipedians, but unfamiliar among most GLAM professionals. Arguments can be made for and against; so discuss away.
Email
The GLAM-US mailing list is likely the most efficient means of communicating on a platform comfortable for both Wikipedians and GLAMs. This makes the most sense in regards to ongoing discussions, announcing projects and events, asking general questions, and planning for other Consortium-wide activities (such as the above mentioned public chats/hangouts.)
Forms of broadcast
Most of the best forms of broadcast (rather than dialogue) we're already doing; these include:
Social Media: Already have Facebook (US) and Twitter (global) accounts.
Newsletter: This Month in GLAM. Global readership and widely read. Likely not useful to create our own.
In summary, it is my suggestion that Broadcasting remain on the blog, newsletter, and social media channels, and that dialogue remain predominately on the email list (GLAM-US), with discussion and decisions being copied to the GLAM/Consortium wiki page for future reference. Additionally, the idea of having a regularly scheduled chat that is off of email and wiki, either in the form of a public Google Hangout or otherwise, is a good means for allowing dialogue in a focused way. This component is what likely will require further discussion in regards to what platforms best suit both Wikipedians and GLAM Professionals' needs. It may be that it shifts depending on the information being presented (maybe sometimes it's a Twitter chat, other times a Google Hangout, or even possibly an IRC chat.)
Please do continue to discuss these options!
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Lori Phillips
Digital Marketing Content Coordinator
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
US Cultural Partnerships Coordinator
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