Yes! All of this is excellent!
Another thing worth pointing out from the public library angle-
With the exception of some flagship-ish instances, it'll be hard for public libraries to offer the right kind of facilities for some of this work.
The alternative is to get a separate space for the LibLab, and add it as a library location.
Public library branch systems all offer some kind of material delivery between their locations. There's cost associated with that delivery, both in terms of transportation and things like adding a new location code with the library ILS vendor, so that would need to be accounted for. This is the angle the Library Outpost idea supports- it is supposed to integrate traditional library services with all of the new and exciting things we are talking about here by offering them in a new location. Physical materials (books) could be requested online and then delivered for pickup to this LibLab. If the LibLab can be added to the public library network, electronic resources like subscription databases could be offered on location as well...
N
On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 8:39 AM, Samuel Klein meta.sj@gmail.com wrote:
Some other examples might include
- archiving your personal papers, high speed - good ocr - well
organized resulting directories of files on a USB key
- capturing family history. creating a collectino of personal papers
when a family member retires or dies. collection tools, digitization tools, publishing tools.
- translating documents - using available tools and networks to
translate works for personal use [from micropaying a distributed network to getting more widely interesting docs translated and published for free]
- printing physical copies of books for personal use. [using an
espresso or similar printer]
- printing large formfactor posters and banners for personal use
- organizing a cluster of information for a research project or
reading group. with outputs as neatly pdf-aggregated reading packets, print versions of same, etc...
The lab would have the ethos of sharing whatever designs you use, or whatever research lenses you produce, in a way and with a name that is accessible to or usable by others -- but the primary goal of the lab would be to empower people to do these things.
SJ
On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Samuel Klein meta.sj@gmail.com wrote:
Yes, we need to move back in that direction. FabLabs are entirely defined in that way ' as a mechanism for enriching your own life, giving you tools to make your life better, and stepping back tyo see what happens.
That is absolutely what I have in mind, I just am blocking on coming up with specific use cases to illustrate that. I spend a lot of time with wikipedians, who spend their 'pesonal enrichment' time doing things that help large arhives and others, so my instinctive use cases are skewed towards what I know they would do with such a lab...
SJ
2011/7/8 Nate Hill nathanielhill@gmail.com:
This looks great! One thought: Most of the activities listed here are somewhat work-like; they are
efforts
to bolster or support other programs or organizations rather than enrich
the
lives of participants. Partnering with a public library means, at least in my mind, that you'll
be
working with the public to accomplish some if not all of these listed
tasks.
There's a great opportunity to frame some of these activities as experiential learning opportunities, civic engagement, and co-creative processes in which patrons work with LibLab staff or volunteers to
enrich
their own lives through knowledge. Nate
On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 10:07 AM, Samuel Klein meta.sj@gmail.com
wrote:
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.
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-- Nate Hill nathanielhill@gmail.com http://www.natehill.net
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-- Samuel Klein identi.ca:sj w:user:sj +1 617
529 4266
-- Samuel Klein identi.ca:sj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266
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