Dear all,
A quick update on the LibLab project follows. For more detail, see (and edit!) our no-longer-stubby project page: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/LibLabs#July_update
SJ
== I. Location update, DCPL contacts ==
Katie and I just had a helpful call with Ginnie Cooper, head of the DCPL, and some of her technical and programs staff. Nate, thank you for making that *excellent* introduction; the whole team struck me as efficient, inspired by their work, and deeply knowledgable about the local community and history. I would be thrilled to work with them.
They are looking into potential spaces for a lab, and have some ideas; one option would be prominently in the main library, which is right on the Metro. Volunteers are needed to man the lab make this happen; see below.
I am still interested in hearing about other possible liblab spaces, in DC or elsewhere -- we will want a list of interested future labs to submit with the final results in September.
== II. Timeline ==
Next steps: if someone is interested in taking a lead on the design work, a design meeting this month would be helpful. And we could start planning now for a 1- or 2-day hacking session with wikimedians and the library -- perhaps in line with the recent talk about having a national followup to the Wiknic, with libraries. :-)
== III. Volunteers needed ==
WE NEED: tech / teacher / organizer volunteers! Available afternoons every day of the week.
== IV. Design research needed ==
We are also looking for someone to lead the work on design options for the space. If you know interested architects or designers, please get them involved.
Examples:
[1] http://youmediachicago.org/10-philosophy/pages/37-youmedia-layout [2] https://as220.org/labs/blog/2008/09/announcing-the-providence-fab.html
== V. use cases for a lab ==
Please share your own use cases on the wiki. I'd like to have 100 use cases, with example projects, by the end of the month. This more than anything helps line up partners because they understand what sort of desire there is among knowledge-lovers to *do* collection, curation, classification, digitization, and publishing work.