Photographic heritage and web 2.0: Flickr The Commons experience

Abstract

In last years, many archives, libraries and museums are exploring, participating in, or simply using resources that social networks offer on the internet. The so-called web 2.0 has enabled a new context for these institutions to present their collections and activities to new users. The social networks have also allowed the exploration of new strategies for dissemination and communication. Flickr: The Commons  project, jointly developed by the Library of Congress and Flickr ´s photosharing and hosting platform, offers an attractive perspective for many of these institutions to enlarge the possibilities of indexing and of online communities research. This article presents the characteristics of the project, the strategies outlined by each participating institution and an evaluation of the results.