Open AccessCrowding the library: How and why libraries are using crowdsourcing to engage the public
Author(s) -
Sarah Severson,
Jean-Sébastien Sauvé
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
partnership
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1911-9593
DOI - 10.21083/partnership.v14i1.4632
Subject(s) - crowdsourcing , outreach , mandate , citizen journalism , public relations , world wide web , best practice , creativity , perspective (graphical) , sociology , data science , computer science , political science , artificial intelligence , law
Over the past 10 years, there has been a noticeable increase of crowdsourcing projects in cultural heritage institutions, where digital technologies are being used to open up their collections and encourage the public to engage with them in a very direct way. Libraries, archives and museums have long had a history and mandate of outreach and public engagement but crowdsourcing marks a move towards a more participatory and inclusive model of engagement. If a library wants to start a crowdsourcing project, what do they need to know?
This article is written from a Canadian University library perspective with the goal to help the reader engage with the current crowdsourcing landscape. This article’s contribution includes a literature review and a survey of popular projects and platforms; followed by a case study of a crowdsourcing pilot completed at the McGill Library. The article pulls these two threads of theory and practice together—with a discussion of some of the best practices learned through the literature and real-life experience, giving the reader practical tools to help a library evaluate if crowdsourcing is right for them, and how to get a desired project off the ground.