More interesting work from the National Library of Australia.

Now FlickR and the National Library of Australia are embarking on an exciting initiative to offer individuals the opportunity to include their images of contemporary Australia in the PictureAustralia service through FlickR. By adding images to this group, individuals are able to, for the first time, contribute to and enrich a valuable collection which has so far been the sole domain of large collecting institutions. This is done by collecting the metadata and thumbnails from this group and loading them into PictureAustralia each week. [Flickr: PictureAustralia: Australia Day]

There is also a group about people, places and events.

I am intrigued to see how this develops. It picks up various themes I have touched on recently. Putting the library in the user environment, rather than expecting the user to be in the library environment. Creating structures for user contribution. Presenting a library service through emerging web and social tools.

The National Library of Australia has previously exposed its PictureAustralia data to search engines. So what we are seeing here is the Library using web-based platforms - Google and FlickR respectively - to provide environments for discovery and for content contribution. The Library is effectively putting its services where it expects that many potential users will find it most congenial to use them.

Related entries:

• Systemwide discovery and delivery
(a view from NLA of how library discovery to delivery services are evolving)
• Discover, locate ... vertical and horizontal integration
• On Beauty and community (about how Ann Arbor District Library is providing a service to capture users' pictures)
• Bridging to user environments - 3G (what would a library service just provided through common Internet services and desktop tools be like?)
• Building on other platforms (another example using FlickR)
• Which environment?