doe library wall proposal
TRANSCRIPT
Doe Library WallA community celebration
of our centennial
100
ProposalApril 2011Jeffery [email protected]
DOE
Is a graffiti wall fitting for a library centennial?
Are the tone and message appropriate?
What if there are inappropriate messages?
The Battle of Berlin, WWIIOn April 30, 1945, the Soviet Red Army conquered the Reichstag
Graffiti left by Red Army soldiers on the walls of the Reichstag
“… blunt (and occasionally obscene) reminders of numerous
[personal] stories“Norman Foster
After German re-unification in 1990, the reconstruction of the Reichstag was led by the British architect Norman Foster
The Soviet graffiti were incorporated into the walls of
the new building
The Soviet graffiti were incorporated into the walls of
the new building
The motivations for the graffiti in the reconstructed Reichstag are both inspiring for and in sync with the values of libraries and librarianship
“… how these scars, once revealed, could be preserved, allowing the building to become a 'living museum' of German history"
“… more than half a century after the event - they still have the power to inspire such emotion"
[on the approval of incorporating the Reichstag graffiti into the reconstruction]“… what an extraordinarily open and democratic society Germany had become"
A celebration of free expression
Revealing the history of a building
Quoting Norman Foster from Foster, Baker, and Lipstadt’s
The Reichstag Graffiti, 2003
This event is inspiring for a library graffiti wall
A library wallA virtual or physical place in the library to express yourself and to share your message publically
Why call it a wall?Facebook wall and the Berlin Wall
Our challenge
If we decide on a library wall, how do we: • attract contributors and viewers from
our community?• make it significant and do-able?• enforce community standards?
A solution
This is a proposal for building a library wall
Since a centennial comes but once every 100 years,
perhaps THINK BIG initially, and then edit down our plans.
Goals of a library wall
Attract our community and … Be inclusive
enable them to share their experiences in and impressions of
Doe Library
Public expression and the Berkeley spirit
in a way that is fun, attention-grabbing, constructive, and
interactive.
Collect messages in their different forms with physical, digital, and
multimedia tools
Physical messages
Handwritten wall messages
Written messages
Cards
Postcards, comment
cards, Post-its
Illustrations
Drawings, coloring pages,
photographs
Digital messages
Online writing
Emails, online messages,
social media
Illustrations
Drawings, photographs
Multimedia
Video, audio, models,
animations
Outcome 1
A collection of messages
Outcome 2Library wall website/blog
Prototype at http://jeffloo.com/wall
Outcome 3Exhibits
Physical library wall
Multimedia display (e.g., revolving slideshow of messages)
Outcome 4
Print publicationLibrary wall album
Outcome 5
Community developmentMedia and public attentionPublic space“Library as a place for sharing”
Outcome 6
Research productThe messages could be data for a research work of cultural anthropology or psychology – an ethnographic study of cultural common denominators
Building a library wall in four steps
1. Collect and capture messages 2. Digitize and organize them3. Share and exhibit4. Preserve the messages
Step 1
Collect and capture messagesa. Equipment setup and layoutb. Facilitate writing and other contributionsc. Attract contributors and viewersd. Uphold community standards
Collect handwritten wall messages
sustainabilityre-usabilityeconomy
Writing surfacesWood panelsLarge sheets of paperBulletin boardsChalkboardsGlass surfacesDigital screensWhiteboards
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 1: Wood panels
interesting material, but difficult to maintain
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 2: Large sheets of paper
familiar, but not re-useable
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 3: Bulletin board
traditional, but lacks “wow” factor
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 4: Chalkboard
The First Amendment Monument Charlottesville, VA
Stanley Hall
nostalgic, but impermanent
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 5: Glass surface
different, but potentially difficult and expensive
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 6: Digital screens
interactive and cutting-edge, but potentially very expensive
Touch schematic
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 7: Whiteboards
Easy to maintain and re-useable for library instruction, but impermanent and conventional
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 7a: Whiteboard folding wall
Ewan McIntoshFlexiroom at Stanford’s d.school
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 7b: Whiteboard wallpaper
Duke University CIT, 1 and 2
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 7c: Whiteboard panels
Suspended Mounted
Stanford d.schoolStanford EdTech
Stanford’s d.school
Collect handwritten wall messages
Option 7d: Mobile whiteboards
Stanford d.school
Physical location of library wall
Fixed Doe Library’s north and south lobbies
MobileRotate through different sitesReading roomsMemorial Gladeother campus sites?
Position of the physical wall
Long corridor of panels
Monumental and compelling
but can look sparse and long panels may be difficult to re-use after the event
Staggered panels
Cozy pockets and a sense of exploration as you walk from panel to panel
but lacks monumentality
Floor panels
Different and curious
but potentially difficult to maintain
Writing instruments
markerscrayonspencilspaintpoetry magnetsdifferent colors
Facilitate writing on the wall
Writing promptsIn 100 years, I predict that Doe Library will
…So this funny thing happened at Doe
Library…Ask us a question about Doe Library! We’ll
answer.I discovered this interesting thing at Doe …I love studying/reading/being in Doe
because …Share a memory!
Staff contributions to “seed” the wall
Writing instruments of different colors for visual appeal
Prizes
Attract contributors and viewers
Publicize via web, print, and news
Encourage visitors to “sign” the wall (e.g., post-tour and post-Morrison Library event)
Showcase the wall at celebrations and events (e.g., Cal Day)
Uphold community standards
Uphold community standardsDefine and post community standards
Disclaimer of the wall’s public nature“By submitting your message, you give Doe Library permission to reuse your contribution on our website and related project communications, exhibits, and publications.”
Monitor for inappropriate messages and remove
Editorial approval of messages before display
Place the wall in a staffed area
Collect cards and notes
PostcardsFiat Lux insert that readers mail backEncourage community to send postcards
Comment cards
Post-it notes for wall comments
Collect physical illustrations
Provide paper and pencils for visitors to sketch the library
Kid-friendly drawing activitiesDraw Doe Library or color a coloring page and receive a prize! (Cal Day)
Send us your photographs
Collect online writing
“Tell us your story” email your message or complete a web form
Commenting functionality on the digital library wall
Encourage social media discussion Facebook, Twitter #doewall
Collect digital illustrations
Email your photographs or digital drawings
Collect multimedia
Send us your video, audio, interactive, or animated messages
Video boothWake the Library video booth
Step 2. Digitize and organize messages
1. Digitize
Physical wall messages
Cards and illustrations
Digital messages
Content management system
Take digital photograph Scan Upload
Select messages to display Describe and assign metadata
Post online
Website /Blog
Digital exhibits
Print publication
Archive
Preserve
2. Evaluate and organize3. Share
4. Archive
Staff (equipment)• 2–3 wall
maintenance staff• Photographer
(camera)• Digitization tech
(scanner)• Communications
manager (email)
• Content manager (CMS)
• 3-5 editors
• Web designer• Digital exhibits
designer• Graphic designer• Writer/Publicist
(publishing tools)
• Digital archivist (web archiving service)
• Print archivist
Digitize and organize messages
Step 3. Share and exhibit messages
A flatscreen tv in the lobby with a revolving slideshow of centennial celebration messages
Lead visitors to the physical library wall
Library wall website/blog
Print publication of library wall messages
Research publication
Step 4. Archive
Preserveweb pages, blog,
andprint publications
Next step #1
Do we still want a library wall?
Next step #2
What elements of a library wall do we want?
What messages collected?
What exhibits?
Three plans that vary by staffing, equipment, and cost.
Optimization criteriaEase of implementation
Low costCultural match with UCB
Minimal staffingSustainability
???
Core Extended Ultimate
Physical messages
Handwritten wall messages
Written messages
Digital messages
Online writing
Emails, online messages,
social media
Illustrations
Drawings, photographs
Core planMessages collected
Physical messages
Handwritten wall
messages
Written messages
Cards
Postcards, comment
cards, Post-its
Illustrations
Drawings, coloring pages,
photographs
Digital messages
Online writing
Emails, online messages,
social media
Illustrations
Drawings, photographs
Extended planMessages collected
Physical messages
Handwritten wall
messages
Written messages
Cards
Postcards, comment
cards, Post-its
Illustrations
Drawings, coloring pages,
photographs
Digital messages
Online writing
Emails, online messages,
social media
Illustrations
Drawings, photographs
Multimedia
Video, audio, models,
animations
Ultimate planMessages collected
1. Digitize
Physical wall messages
Cards and illustrations
Digital messages
Content management system
Take digital photograph Scan Upload
Select messages to display Describe and assign metadata
Post online
Website /Blog
Digital exhibits
Print publication
Archive
Preserve
2. Evaluate and organize3. Share
4. Archive
Staff to digitize and organize messages Staff (equipment)• 2–3 wall
maintenance staff• Photographer
(camera)• Digitization tech
(scanner)• Communications
manager (email)
• Content manager (CMS)
• 3-5 editors
• Web designer• Digital exhibits
designer• Graphic designer• Writer/Publicist
(publishing tools)
• Digital archivist (web archiving service)
• Print archivist
Next step #3
Determine timing and frequencyFor how long do we collect messages?1 month? 1 year?
How often do we erase messages and refresh the physical library wall?2 weeks? Monthly?
Next step #4
Cultivate teams to build the wall
Message collection2–3 physical wall maintenance staffPhotographerDigitization techCommunications manager
Digital objects managementContent management system manager
Editorial review3-5 editors
Design, exhibits, and publicationsWeb designerDigital exhibits designerGraphic designerWriter/Publicist
PreservationDigital archivist Print archivist
haiku summary
writing and sharing – the wall forges togethera community