“I’m going to give you the conclusion to his article here to solve the tl;dr problem. There are two things the library has done to create such cool projects. First, I’m convinced the NYPL is succeeding online because of desire. The library’s employees give a shit about the digital aspects of their institution, and they are supported in that shit giving. I mean this in the most fundamental way possible and as a damning critique for media companies. Second, the library sees its users as collaborators in improving the collections the library already has. While serving them online costs the library some money, they are creating value, too, by opening up conduits into the library for superusers.”

What Big Media Can Learn From the New York Public Library - Alexis Madrigal - Technology - The Atlantic

Really nice deep dive into how the NYPL has become one of the best digital institutions in the world, including a nice shoutout to FOT Angela Montefinise and her excellent NYPL Tumblr.

Notes

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