11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
This overview of three exciting strategic directions provides inspiration for libraries considering how to strengthen their role as critical community partners. Bicknell explains how libraries can employ news aggregation, community curation, and “data alchemy” to engage and inform both current library users as well as potential users. He reviews how libraries can create (and create a demand for) their own value-added community news and information. It explores how RSS feeds, Twitter, and an auto-generated online newspaper tool give every library the potential to become a reliable, relevant, and respected news source. He explores how new applications of powerful tools such as Historypin and Wikipedia connect people with library collections and resources. Learn how innovative collaborations around these tools can help libraries create a critical role in how their entire community is defined online and how they can seize opportunities regarding both civic “open data” and linked open data for libraries/ archives/museums (LODLAM) to position themselves in repurposing and providing valuable public information in new and engaging ways.
