Crowdsourcing and Libraries

With limited funds, resources, and physical space, it is not surprising that many libraries have turned to crowdsourcing to expand their digital holdings, as well as to identify errors and gaps in digitized works or to aid in their translation.

What is crowdsourcing? The term was coined in 2005 by editors of Wired Magazine to refer to the act of taking tasks traditionally performed by an employee or contractor and outsourcing them to a group (i.e., crowd) through an open call to the community, usually via the internet.

A good example of how libraries can use crowdsourcing to their advantage is a joint project between Cornell University in New York and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. The joint project "is seeking Yiddish speakers around the world to translate more than 1,500 pages of journals and newspapers originally written for working-class Jewish immigrants who settled in London and New York City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries." For more information on this project, please see http://edcetera.rafter.com/crowdsourc....

The Dartmouth College and Boston Public Library recently received funding for an initiative that "will examine how libraries, archives, and museums can most effectively use crowdsourcing techniques to augment their collections and enhance their patrons’ experience." The crowdsourcing initiative will use a series of meetings and webinars to collect information and identify best practices. For the press release,please see http://collaborativelibrarianship.wor....