This document discusses maximizing the use of open web resources in libraries. It argues that libraries should better utilize free and openly available web content for research and users. However, curating and selecting quality resources from the vast amount on the open web presents challenges including the volume of content, lack of metadata, scalability, and ephemeral nature of some resources. The document outlines potential workflows for discovering, ingesting, reviewing, archiving, and sharing open web resources and suggests tools that can help with curation tasks. It also discusses the types of materials that could be curated from the open web like reports, datasets, digital collections, and videos.

1. MAXIMIZING USE OF
THE OPEN WEB
Gary Price, MLIS
September 20, 2016
gprice@gmail.com
http://infodocket.com
@infoDOCKET

2. Beginnings
• As a whole, the library community should be making better use
of the "open web" as a research tool for our own use and our
behalf of our users.
• Taking “classic” collection development ideas/concepts, tool
and making needed changes, additions, and applying to web
environment
• Need to develop new tools
• This is not about recreating Google
• It’s about SELECTION AND CURATION of
• Automation and human curation working together

3. Where We're At Today
• Reliance on or two open web resources
• The Invisible or Deep Web in 2016
• Below Google result six or seven
• Use of Internet search engines
• Searcher behavior
• Lack of advanced search knowledge
• Gaming of results
• (Lack of) awareness of what’s available in the first place
• LibGuides
• Some excellent but many outdated, missing key resources, time constraints
• Are they used, are people aware of them

4. The Past
• Early web librarian and expert generated directories,
funding decreases, ends
• Push towards discovery services, yet open web resources
are sometimes missing
• Libraries say “try this discovery tool”
• However, key and timely items are often missing (what happens?)
• User satisfaction
• Role of librarian as a curator of the web

5. Pro (Making Better Use of Open Web)
• More robust library tools
• Content itself can often be free or low-cost (especially
important to school and public libraries)
• Timeliness, material often available same day it's released
• Credibility of source, primary documents, multiple versions of
documents
• Once ingested many opportunities to use (LibGuides)/share
with community members (alert services)
• The Proactive Librarian (Huge Marketing Upside)

6. A Few of Many Challenges
• Volume of material, it never stops
• Scalability
• Human resources (time, cost, etc.)
• Discovery
• Curation (by human)
• Metadata creation (if needed)
• Lack of metadata (in some cases)
• Precisely What to Create Metadata For
• Ephemeral nature of the web
• Archiving challenges
• No single place to learn about new resources
• Exception?
• Legal issues (local servers vs. link only)

7. Types of Materials
• Grey Literature
• Web-Only Serials
• Multimedia
• YouTube Factor
• Primary Documents/Specialty Database
• Expert Curated Databases
• Example #2
• Example #3
• Government Reports/NGO Reports and Datasets
• Legislative research organizations

8. Types of Materials
• Think Tanks: Reports/Datasets
• Other Reports, Datasets ("Stories in the News")
• Digital Collections (Retrospective Digitization Projects)
• More awareness, usage is important
• Institutional Repositories
• Data Visualizations, Infographics, Visuals Embedded in Articles
(From credible sources)
• Historical Docs
• Released Under FOIA

9. Possible Workflow
• Discover
• Ingest
• Review, select
• Archive (if possible)
• Add metadata
• Update database
• Share using various methods, tools
• OER Authors, Developers (Items to Link To)

10. Keeping it Clean
• Review Urls
• Make changes (as needed)
• Change links (perhaps to an archived version of doc or
website)

11. How I Do What I Do (Tools I Use)
• Targeted checks for new material using Website-Watcher
• Canned searches using Google
• Mining the Media
• Industry newsletters, trade publication
• Updates, curation services
• Reading reports back to front (for sources)
• APIs
• Web Clipping Services
• Twitter
• YouTube Updates, Vimeo Alerts
• RSS Feeds (Going to the source)

12. Future
• Finding small topics to create services, develop tools
• A few of many ideas I’ve been thinking about that are possible
for open web curation
• Charts and other visuals
• Video and audio interviews (long form, in-depth interviews)
• Podcasts (based on topic or people interviewed)
• Audiosear.ch
• Guide to real-time streaming events + related resources
• Database of open web databases on X topic
• Using open web resources to create a frequently updated almanac