Community Creator

Thinking about 3 fledgling groups of users at

my library and museum.

Assignment 1: Hyperlinked Library MOOC, Sept 2013

Group 1Patea Historical Society (PHS)

Patea Historical Society Has been around a long time. Members are

mainly older and conservative. Use the Museum for research and

inspiration. Currently share information through irregular

newsletters. Some members are wanting an online presence.

Group 2Patea Proud Inc

Patea Proud Inc. is a newer group. They want to ‘improve’ town

and build our community. Use the library for information, to hang

out and as a meeting space. Currently share information by phone.

meetings and meeting minutes – not always successfully.

Group 3Teen readers

Teens, mainly girls, who have continued reading after the end of

our winter reading programme. Huge fans of paranormal

romances. Share information informally when hanging out at the

library, and by leaving comments on books in our online catalogue.

My choicePatea Historical Society

I have chosen the Patea Historical Society. I feel the teens are

online already, and interacting with us, and Patea Proud may not

be in a position to take advantage of an online presence. Some

PHS members want an online presence so I could meet their need.

PHS’s current use

of the MuseumUses the Museum archives, reading room, and research facility.

Writes a (dry) newsletter.

Has irregular slide and movie nights.

Wants to expand to include more people.

What could a virtual space

offer?A meeting place.

A quicker way of disseminating information.

A place to share photos, notes, maps etc.

A way of advertising what the group offers.

What resources could they

benefit from?A ready made virtual space.

Informal training in how to use online resources.

Help with reaching a wider audience.

Help with sharing their resources with more people.

How would I create

this community?I think initially I would need to create, then drive, whatever was created

and, over time, train interested members to look after it for themselves.

I’d build the online presence by using it regularly myself & reaching out

to others.

My preferred technologyI think they need a two step approach:

A Facebook page for quick communication, using the events feature

to schedule meetings and share old photos etc with the public.

A blog where they can create pages of different resources for more

permanent access, and to post news to. The two could be linked.

My skills for creating this

virtual communityKeen blogger; maintain 6 blogs; 3 personal and 3 business.

Can model good online behaviour and participation.

Good at working with the public.

Interested in seeing them succeed.

Engagement Plan

Making Contact

Phone call to the President to see if he is interested.

Aattend a meeting and talk kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) with the members.

My sales pitch

Talk about benefits of instant communication.

No need to travel, so can extend membership beyond geographical area.

Good for older member’s who may not drive at night

Gives the group the ability to share Patea’s past with a worldwide audience.

Explaining the connectionEncourage them to see the virtual world as a meeting room open 24/7 to them.

Talk about how the Museum shares it’s collections via eHive, and how this would

enable them to join in those same conversations.

Gives members an opportunity to learn new skills in an informal setting.

A final thought

Having written this assignment, I am sold on the potential benefits for the Patea Historical Society and am going to approach them to discuss putting my plan into action.

Photo: collection of Aotea Utanganui Museum of South Taranaki, PH2012.0068