The document discusses the challenges and solutions in enhancing publishing services for genealogical research through community engagement and technology. It highlights the transition from a limited customer relationship model to a community-driven approach using wikis, resulting in faster content updates and increased volunteer contributions. The success relies on collaboration between staff and volunteers to improve content quality and expand service reach.

1. Wikis, CMSs, & CommunityEnhancing Publishing in Librariesby Michael Ritchey (Twitter: mtritchey)

2. Today’s LessonOverview of FamilySearch services

3. Challenges & strengths in 2006

4. Solution Concept & Requirements

5. Quicken publishing cycle

6. Multiply content output

7. Boost teamwork, morale, community relations

8. Improve content design, quality & relevanceSome Background on Our PerspectiveFamily History Library & Research SupportResearch Support: 50 questions/day by phone & e-mail80% of questions answered by volunteersOur volunteers & customers are senior citizens2006: Customer Relationship Management (CRM)CRM model: customer’s question routed to an agent4500 family history centers worldwideCRM model is not scalable to help family history center volunteers2006: Knowledge Management System (KMS)KMS closed to volunteers; obsolete content

9. Challenges

10. Challenge: Advise Genealogists Worldwide

11. Research advice on FamilySearch Internet, 2006Challenge: cover more places

12. Challenge: cover more languagesResearch advice on FamilySearch.org about countries in their native language, 2006

13. Challenge: Update content fasterResearch advice on FamilySearch.org revised 2001-2006.

14. Challenge: connect customers with experts How do I find birth records from Brazil?Sounds tough!I dunno(Yawn!) I wish I had someone to help!

15. Implement old ideaAchievedenialFailOur time-tested model

16. 2006 Revelation: Headquarters can’t do it alone.Is there a better way?

17. Our Strengths as an OrganizationExpert staff

18. Our Strengths as an OrganizationExpert staffWorld-renowned record collection

19. Our Strengths as an OrganizationExpert staffWorld-renowned record collection60,000 volunteers

20. Challenges + Strengths = CommunitySolution: Community!StrengthsChallengesCover more placesCover more languagesUpdate content fasterConnect customers with expertsExpert staffWorld-renowned record collection 60,000 volunteers

21. Selling the concept: Wikipedia

22. Selling the concept: Wikipedia8thmost popular WebsiteContent written by community3,000 new entries per dayMost errors corrected in 5 mins.11 edits per article

23. Requirements

24. RequirementsOpen source WYSIWYG authoring tool (yo mamma)Article history/version controlLimit visibility of some articlesVolunteer authoringEasy interlinkingAdmin can lock down a page (Home page)NotificationsSystem deployable by non-engineers!

25. Solutions

26. First solution: Plone CMS

27. FamilySearch Wiki: Plone siteQuestions of concurrent authoring scalability

28. 2007 MediaWiki iteration

29. Quicken the Publication Cycle

30. Challenge: Update content fasterEvery revision required input fromDirector (approval)Publication strategistUsability specialistTechnical writersEditorsCorrelationSoftware engineers

31. Update content faster on a wikiGet an idea

32. Add it to the wiki

33. Get input

34. IterateShortens the publishing cycle… …from months to minutes.

35. Multiply Content Output

36. Multiply Content Output800  19,000 docs since 200782,000 edits in 2009 (as of 10/04/09)Top contributors have 10k-16k edits ea.2009 edits = 719,000,000 characters6,900 characters/edit avg.Top pages have 300-500 editsReference librarians writing 22,000 hours/year