Gabe Feldstein, Digital Publishing and Outreach Specialist, interviewed Sarah Melton, the Head of Digital Scholarship and co-coordinator of CrowdCafe.
When did CrowdCafe start? Was there a particular campaign that inspired this model for getting things done as a large group?
We were particularly inspired by humanitarian relief projects that mobilize volunteers in the wake of disasters. The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, for example, crowdsources data that is used to improve maps of areas that have been affected by disasters, giving responders a better sense of on-the-ground, real-time conditions. Map-a-thons after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico helped provide the Red Cross with navigation information, even when existing maps were missing roads, buildings, and other geographic data.
CrowdCafe began in 2018 as a collaborative initiative between digital scholarship staff at Boston College and Boston University Libraries. Led by Sarah Melton, BC’s Head of Digital Scholarship, and Vika Zafrin, BU’s Digital Scholarship Librarian, the monthly event aims to provide a loose infrastructure for people wishing to contribute to crowdsourced projects.
Additionally, with more and more cultural heritage materials available online, we wanted to encourage local participation in crowdsourcing projects on a regular basis.
Continue reading “Contribute to Crowd-Sourcing Projects at CrowdCafe”