In another post you pointed out that you have two audiences in Flickr – those who care about the museum and those who care about the collections. Another interesting idea might be to try and convert some folks – make them “primarily” collections or museum ppl.

Some random thoughts…

Could the old Brooklyn slides be somehow tied into the DJ nights?? Ask one of the young artist hangers-on to do something visually creative with the Flickr comments and tags that can be projected on the ceiling during the party?

Could the energy of the museum be injected into the somewhat stale and static Flickr Commons images? Or if I am a stale and static person, what is the Commons reflection in the day-to-day of the museum? If I visit on the wrong day will there be nothing to see?

BTW, I couldn’t stop thinking about this photo on election night… maybe that was the first time so many people had gathered in one place in Chicago since 1893? http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklyn_museum/2785069966/

BTW BTW I just realized my first comment on Brooklyn Museum photos was “three months ago” not “November” :-O

Definitely for the better – the interaction we’ve been having with you and many others is what we’ve hoped for by putting these materials out there. And, I have to say, hearing you mention the personal connection and that we are high on your list couldn’t make me happier – I’ve been feeling like we have not been connecting enough (could you tell?) and it’s very welcome to hear that we are still making strides in this area.

This is an interesting point about asking our own questions. Not only would it save us some time, but it might really be engaging for our community to know we are there…instead of waiting on us to research. I’m going to try that on the next one we get and will report back :)

I’ve been one of those users eating up your time (both for better and for worse!… well, I hope for better?). I also have been browsing and commenting on the Library of Congress Bain collection quite a bit.

I wonder if the way to overcome the scale and complexity of your new community is to switch from a collaborator to a coordinator? It’s necessary to be entirely a collaborator when you are in a “small town”, and you need to do it to establish the community that leads to a “metropolis”. You’re doing leadership work quite a bit already just by acknowledging (and thus rewarding) people for their contributions to your collection. Perhaps you can turn some of the questions back on people, or ask people to find/provide evidence that backs up their conclusions about the photos? They may find more reward than you doing the work yourself.

LC has so much activity in the Bain collection that it can be very stingy with its posts. Only rock-solid information on dates of photographs or corrections to caption information tend to get a response. Esoteric connections to other photographs or general information are left for the community to comment on. LC is entirely impersonal and institutional, though. That’s my expectation – LC has very nice people, but I’m there for the architecture and archives. I don’t think you can go that far – it’s the illusion of a personal connection that’s put Brooklyn Museum high on my list on a hopeful upcoming trip to New York.

When I started looking at the Brooklyn photos in November I was surprised at the sparse comments on the wonderful 1893 World’s Fair photos. Now there is healthy activity.

So, what’s the next step in the dance? Do you have to pair with everyone on the dance floor, or can you lead the band and still enjoy an occassional waltz or tango?

Writing this long of a post when you’re already time-strapped can be quite a chore. Thanks for taking time out to provide insight!

@roketpad