1 Crowdsourcing and Social Engagement: Potential, Power and Freedom for libraries and users Keynote presentation by Rose Holley, Digital Librarian Pacific Rim Digital Library Alliance (PRDLA) Conference, Libraries at the end of the world: Digital Content and Knowledge Creation Auckland, New Zealand, November 2009

Thank you for inviting me to speak here today. In the next hour I am going to talk about the potential of crowdsourcing for libraries. I am speaking in my own personal capacity and my talk is based upon my own recent personal research in this area (published in the E-Lis Library repository). I will draw on my own experience as manager of a crowdsourcing site, and on the experiences of other crowdsourcing site managers that I have interviewed. I am speaking in my own personal capacity and my talk is based upon my own recent personal research in this area (published in the E-Lis Library repository). I will draw on my own experience as manager of a crowdsourcing site, and on the experiences of other crowdsourcing site managers that I have interviewed. I am expressing my own personal viewpoints today, not those of any particular library or organisation. I am expressing my own personal viewpoints today, not those of any particular library or organisation. 2

3 What is crowdsourcing? Social engagement (web 2.0) = Interactions with data on a personal level Interactions with data on a personal level Marking, reviewing, correcting, classifying items etc to help yourself Marking, reviewing, correcting, classifying items etc to help yourself May require less involvement and effort than crowdsourcing May require less involvement and effort than crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing = Large group of unpaid volunteers Large group of unpaid volunteers Each doing small tasks Each doing small tasks Working towards a clear goal Working towards a clear goal Goal is big and for the ‘common good’ Goal is big and for the ‘common good’ Usually using social engagement strategies Usually using social engagement strategies

4 For Example  Making out of copyright books electronically available  Transcribing birth, death and marriage hand written records so that they become searchable  Writing articles to make a free online encyclopedia

5 Benefits for libraries 1.Achieving goals that the library does not have resource for 2.Quick results for a big task 3.Active engagement with the community 4.Utilising knowledge of community

6Benefits 5.Improving/adding value to your resource/service 6.Encouraging sense of public ownership and responsibility towards cultural heritage items 7.Building trust and loyalty of the community 8.Demonstrating relevance and value of libraries

7 Australian Newspapers

8 User Interaction at article level

9Achievements November 2009 (1 year in) 6,000+ volunteers 6,000+ volunteers 7 million lines of text corrected in in 318,000 newspaper articles 7 million lines of text corrected in in 318,000 newspaper articles 200,000 tags added 200,000 tags added 4,600 comments added 4,600 comments added

10 Picture Australia

11Achievements October 2009 (4 years in) 2,641 volunteers 2,641 volunteers 55,664 images created and added to the collection 55,664 images created and added to the collection

12FamilySearchIndexing

13Achievements January 2009 (4 years in) 160,000 volunteers 160,000 volunteers BDM records transcribed internationally BDM records transcribed internationally

14 Distributed Proofreaders

15Achievements October 2009 (9 years in) 90,000 volunteers (3,000 active per month) 90,000 volunteers (3,000 active per month) 16,000 E-books created and available 16,000 E-books created and available (consistently create approx 2,000 per year)

16Wikipedia

17Achievements December 2008 (8 years in) 156,000 active volunteers out of 10 million total 156,000 active volunteers out of 10 million total A free online encyclopaedia A free online encyclopaedia 3 million articles created in English Wikipedia 3 million articles created in English Wikipedia 10 million articles created in 250 languages 10 million articles created in 250 languages

18 Personal Names Data Project PND – 20,000 checked in 2 weeks by German wikipedians.

19 The Guardian MP’s Expenses

20Achievements June 2009 (80 hours in) 20,000 volunteers 20,000 volunteers 170,000 pages read and checked 170,000 pages read and checked

21 Galaxy Zoo

22Achievements July 2008 (1 year in) 150,000 volunteers 150,000 volunteers 50 million galaxy images classified 50 million galaxy images classified

23 BBC WW2 Peoples War

24Achievements January 2006 (2.5 yrs and end of project) 32,000 volunteers 32,000 volunteers 47,000 memories added 47,000 memories added 15,000 personal images added 15,000 personal images added

25 Shipping in Australian waters

26FreeUKGen

27 Can libraries do it and how? Are the experiences unique? Are the experiences unique? Are there common factors? Are there common factors? Why did it work so well? Why did it work so well? What have they learnt? What have they learnt? How can we apply what they have learnt? How can we apply what they have learnt?

28 Common Factors 1.Volunteer numbers and achievements 2.Volunteer profiles 3.Volunteer motivations 4.Rewards and acknowledgement 5.Management of volunteers

29 Volunteer numbers and achievements All started ‘quietly’ All started ‘quietly’ None have done major advertising None have done major advertising Most harnessed small numbers initially which grew rapidly Most harnessed small numbers initially which grew rapidly In all cases volunteers did far more work to a higher standard than expected In all cases volunteers did far more work to a higher standard than expected Significant achievements Significant achievements

30 Volunteer Profile – anyone/everyone Flickr: LucLeqay

31 Volunteer profile Majority of work done by 10% of people = ‘super’ volunteers Majority of work done by 10% of people = ‘super’ volunteers Age varies Age varies Prefer to work for non-profit making orgs Prefer to work for non-profit making orgs Almost always ‘educational’ Almost always ‘educational’ 50/50 ‘volunteering’ /interested in subject 50/50 ‘volunteering’ /interested in subject 50/50 want to choose work/be given work 50/50 want to choose work/be given work

32 Volunteer motivations  I love it  It’s interesting and fun  It is a worthy cause  I am helping with something important e.g. recording history, finding new things, discovering scientific items

33Motivations You put a lot of trust in me You put a lot of trust in me It’s a big challenge It’s a big challenge I can help the group I can help the group I want to give something back to community I want to give something back to community It’s addictive It’s addictive

34 Increasing motivation Give more stuff to do Progress chart Raise the bar Online camaraderie Clear instructions Acknowledgement Reward

35 Profiles of top correctors

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38 Rewards and Acknowledgement Identifying individuals Identifying individuals Options to have profiles public Options to have profiles public Ranking tables Ranking tables Certificates Certificates Promotional gifts Promotional gifts Meeting paid staff Meeting paid staff

39 Management of volunteers Volunteers manage each other Volunteers manage each other Be IT savvy – forums, blogs, wiki’s Be IT savvy – forums, blogs, wiki’s No paid staff to manage and do not recommend No paid staff to manage and do not recommend Paid staff only create/establish endorse policies/FAQ/Guidelines Paid staff only create/establish endorse policies/FAQ/Guidelines

40 Tips for crowdsourcing Tip 1. Clear and big goal - homepage

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42 Tip 2. Progress towards goal

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46 Tip 3. Quick, reliable

47 Tip 4. Easy and Fun

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52 Tip 5. Make results/outcome visible

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55 Tip 6. Rewards and acknowledgements

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58 Tip 7. Content or thing must be interesting Tip 8. Give volunteers options to be visible Tip 9. Give volunteers an online team environment e.g. wiki, forum Tip 10. Give volunteers choices Tip 11. Assume it will be done well Tip 12. Keep the site alive Tip 13. Take advantage of topical events Tip 14. Listen to your ‘super’ volunteers carefully

59Potential  Hundreds of thousands/millions of volunteers if publicized  Libraries have lots of data  Could really open up access to archives, and improve content on mass scale.  A global pool of volunteers and projects

60 My personal big ‘global vision’  Digital users do not see institution walls.  Walls are now down for digital access via federated searches and national services eg Digital NZ, Picture Australia, Matapihi, Trove  Walls need to be down for crowdsourcing projects too E.g. if you want to improve/transcribe text on shipping lists you should be able to come to a central portal to find all the projects and countries involving shipping lists. Not have to go separately to Australian Newspapers, FamilySearchIndexing, Australian Ships and Mariners.

61 Why should libraries lead? ?

62 We have the content We have the content We have the technology We have the technology We have the public support We have the public support

63 What makes us different (to Google, Amazon, Wikipedia?) Long term preservation and access Long term preservation and access Not constrained by commercial pressures Not constrained by commercial pressures Universal access Universal access “Free for all” “Free for all” ALWAYS and FOREVER….

64 Technology enables libraries to evolve and to stay relevant. Q. So what is stopping us? A. The Power and Control Game?

65 Pre Enlightenment reality  Divine Right of Kings  Theocracy  Important decisions made by a privileged and powerful few Post Enlightenment values  Reason  Liberty  Democracy

66 Pre web, information was  Produced by a relatively few large and powerful publishers  Discovered by metadata hand-crafted by librarians  Expensive and centralised Post web, information is  Produced by anyone  Discovered by full text and bottom-up linking effects  Cheap and distributed

67  This is scary  This is threatening  This makes the public ask what our role is Back to the big question again…. “Are libraries needed anymore?” “Are libraries needed anymore?”

68 Loss of Power/control? Vandalism or disinterest Vandalism or disinterest  NO. Loyal and responsible Data corrupted Data corrupted  NO. Keep in layers, keep separate, only integrated together for public view  NO. Data is enhanced and value added. Loss of control Loss of control  NO. Volunteers want guidance/co-ordination Loss of power Loss of power  NO. Gate keepers open as well as close doors!

69 Public power and Library Power = SUPER POWER!! "Don't under estimate the power of people who join together…. they can accomplish amazing things," Barack Obama 19 Jan 2009 Speaking on community engagement and involvement and voluntary work Rose says: People want to work together to achieve amazing things – we as librarians have the power to give them both the data and tools to do this - they will do the rest……

70 Power vs Freedom “Freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash.” Harriet Rubin “Freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash.” Harriet Rubin

71 What Do We Need to Think About? How we build back social engagement into all our interactions How we build back social engagement into all our interactions What we want crowdsourcing help with What we want crowdsourcing help with Why do we want the help: improve quality, social engagement, add new content Why do we want the help: improve quality, social engagement, add new content

72 What Do We Need to Think About? Building partnerships with existing non- profit crowdsourcing organisations Building partnerships with existing non- profit crowdsourcing organisations Working towards a global pool of volunteers and projects Working towards a global pool of volunteers and projects How we market crowdsourcing in libraries How we market crowdsourcing in libraries How we change strategic thinking from power to freedom How we change strategic thinking from power to freedom

73 Will we start crowdsourcing? Help Tip: Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash