Keynote given at Europeana's European Cultural Commons conference in Warsaw Poland, October 12, 2011. A video of this talk from Warsaw is at http://youtu.be/RSaLnHlN4gQ A full text version of the talk (with footnotes and hyperlinks) is at http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museums-and-the-commons-helping-makers-get-stuff-done-6779050

1. Making
and the
commons
Michael Edson
For Europeana’s
European Cultural
Commons workshop
Warsaw, Poland
October 12, 2011
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23739734@N08/6197553025/sizes/l/in/photostream/

2. Making
and the
commons
Michael Edson
For Europeana’s
European Cultural
Commons workshop
Warsaw, Poland
October 12, 2011

3. Making
and the
commons Here today
as a private citizen
Michael Edson

4. Making
and the
commons Here today
as a private citizen
Not a spokesperson,
Michael Edson policy maker,
decision maker

5. Making
and the
commons
Michael Edson
@mpedson

6. Making slideshare.net/edsonm
and the
commons
Michael Edson
@mpedson

7. Making slideshare.net/edsonm
and the
commons

8. Making slideshare.net/edsonm
and the
commons
[the written-out version of this talk]
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museums-and-the-
commons-helping-makers-get-stuff-done-6779050

9. Making slideshare.net/edsonm
and the
commons
[This is also relevant]
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/michael-edson-
prototyping-the-smithsonian-commons

10. Making slideshare.net/edsonm
and the
commons
[As is this]
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/cil-2009-michael-
edson-text-version

12. There’s a certain energy around someone
who is making something
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23739734@N08/6197553025/sizes/l/in/photostream/

13. Learning something
http://www.flickr.com/photos/specialkrb/3253320581/sizes/l/in/photostream/

14. Or solving a problem
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/danmarksdesignskole/5534304473/sizes/l/in/photostream//

15. http://www.flickr.com/photos/danmarksdesignskole/5186252613/sizes/l/in/photostream/

16. There’s an intensity of focus, a sense
of urgency, a twinkle in the eye
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tortipede/6107303370/

17. We accord special status to those whom
President Barack Obama called
“The risk-takers,
the doers,
the makers of things…”
These makers are important—the future
of our species might quite literally depend
on their success, and with great pride we
fill our museums with evidence of the
things they've figured out and
accomplished.

18. Museums, libraries, and archives are celebrations of human
doing—but here we have a disconnect: while these institutions
excel at celebrating things that makers have thought and done in
the past, they can be surprisingly indifferent to the needs of
people who want to get stuff done in the present and in the future.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/669525192/sizes/l/in/photostream/

19. http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteashton/177183362/sizes/l/in/photostream/

20. 18,000 museums in USA
$20.7 billion

21. 18,000 museums in USA
$20.7 billion/year budget

22. 18,000 museums in USA
$20.7 billion/year budget

23. Museums have vast collections of rare and notable
physical and intellectual property, they have
people with expertise and know-how. They
nurture curiosity and knowledge creation through
research, publication, exhibition, and public
programming. They hold positions of trust and
respect in their communities and they're heralded
as places that, as Roy Slade, the Director of the
Cranbrook Art Academy said, "reflect creativity,
history, culture, ideas, innovation, exploration,
discovery, diversity, freedom of expression and the
ideals of democracy."

24. Museums have vast collections of rare and notable
physical and intellectual property, they have
people with expertise and know-how. They
nurture curiosity and knowledge creation through
research, publication, exhibition, and public
programming. They hold positions of trust and
respect in their communities and they're heralded
as places that as Roy Slade, the Director of the
Cranbrook Art Academy said, "reflect creativity,
history, culture, ideas, innovation, exploration,
discovery, diversity, freedom of expression and the
ideals of democracy."

25. Museums have vast collections of rare and notable
physical and intellectual property, they have
people with expertise and know-how. They
nurture curiosity and knowledge creation through
research, publication, exhibition, and public
programming. They hold positions of trust and
respect in their communities and they're heralded
as places that "reflect creativity, history, culture,
ideas, innovation, exploration, discovery, diversity,
freedom of expression and the ideals of
democracy."
Roy Slade
Why Museums Matter

26. But walk into any museum in the country
and ask these 3 questions…

27. Can I get access to all your collections
and resources?
Are experts available to help me
understand key ideas and concepts?
Can I incorporate your collections and
resources into new products, ideas, or
creative works?

28. access Can I get access to all your collections
and resources?
Are experts available to help me
understand key ideas and concepts?
Can I incorporate your collections and
resources into new products, ideas, or
creative works?
Can I get the raw materials of
creation and innovation?

29. Can I get access to all your collections
and resources?
Expertise
Are experts available to help me
understand key ideas and concepts?
Can I incorporate your collections and
resources into new products, ideas, or
creative works?
Can I get the help of guides, connectors, and problem-
solvers, whether they work for you directly or are part of
your broader networks?

30. Can I get access to all your collections
and resources?
Are experts available to help me
understand key ideas and concepts?
Can I incorporate your collections and
Re-use resources into new products, ideas, or
creative works?
Once I get raw materials and expertise,
can I do new things with them?

31. Yes?
Yes?
Yes?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trepelu/225518847/sizes/l/in/photostream/

32. Yes?
yes
Yes?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trepelu/225518847/sizes/l/in/photostream/

33. We received 1,200 public comments on
Smithsonian Commons Prototype
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trepelu/225518847/sizes/l/in/photostream/

34. “One of my biggest gripes doing presentations
for the public on archaeology, is the number of
museums that do not have their collections
online. Much is kept hidden away for
researchers only. We can read journal articles
on valuable exhibits and sometimes a few
drawings are available, but anything else
requires either a visit or an application to do
scholarly research.

35. “One of my biggest gripes doing presentations
for the public on archaeology, is the number of
museums that do not have their collections
online. Much is kept hidden away for
researchers only. We can read journal articles
on valuable exhibits and sometimes a few
drawings are available, but anything else
requires either a visit or an application to do
scholarly research.

36. “This is not fair to the public, since they
pay either directly or indirectly for the valuable
items kept for a limited number of people.

37. “This is not fair to the public, since they
pay either directly or indirectly for the valuable
items kept for a limited number of people.

38. "
“Further, many people cannot travel or will never
travel to see some more distant institutions. I am
hoping for the day when all museums small and large
put their collections online, for the benefit of schools,
colleges and the general public.

39. “Further, many people cannot travel or will never
travel to see some more distant institutions.
I am hoping for the day when all
museums small and large put their
collections online, for the benefit of
schools, colleges and the general public.

40. “Further, many people cannot travel or will never
travel to see some more distant institutions.
I am hoping for the day when all
museums small and large put their
collections online, for the benefit of
schools, colleges and the general public.

41. “Further, many people cannot travel or will never
travel to see some more distant institutions.
I am hoping for the day when all
museums small and large put their
collections online, for the benefit of
schools, colleges and the general public.
Excerpt from comment #406
Smithsonian Commons Prototype
http://smithsonian-
webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Public+Com
ments+on+Smithsonian+Commons+Prot
otype+401-600

42. I am hoping for the day when all
museums small and large put their
collections online, for the benefit of
schools, colleges and the general public.

43. I am hoping for the day when all
museums small and large put their
collections online, for the benefit of
schools, colleges and the general public.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46758972@N00/2442068480/sizes/l/in/photostream/

44. Most museums, libraries,
and archives aren’t
focused on people
like this…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46758972@N00/2442068480/sizes/l/in/photostream/

45. Most museums, libraries,
and archives aren’t People like this, with
focused on people practical digital
like this… requirements, didn't exist
on planet Earth
20 years ago!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46758972@N00/2442068480/sizes/l/in/photostream/

46. This is what we now know

47. Global audiences forming
around niche interests

48. “No matter what business
you’re in, most of the smart
people work for someone else”

49. A Trillion hours/year of time
available for creation and
collaboration. (via Clay Shirky)

50. In 12 years this device will be
1,706 X more powerful than my
desktop computer

51. Billions of connected mobile
users. Voice, data, cameras,
GPS, sensors…

52. Your users are heroes in their
own epic journeys. Your job is
to help them be great.
[via Kathy Sierra]

53. Put these together with an
audacious mission and
something interesting is
going to happen

54. Smithsonian Institution

55. Smithsonian Strategic Plan
Grand Challenges
1. Unlocking the Mysteries of
the Universe
2. Understanding and
Sustaining a Biodiverse
Planet
3. Valuing World Cultures
4. Understanding the
American Experience
Smithsonian Secretary
G. Wayne Clough

56. What is a Commons?
1. Unlocking the Mysteries of
the Universe
2. Understanding and
Sustaining a Biodiverse
Planet
3. Valuing World Cultures
4. Understanding the
American Experience

57. What is a Commons?
1. Unlocking the Mysteries of
the Universe
It is, we think, a way of getting 2. Understanding and
a lot of hard work done Sustaining a Biodiverse
Planet
3. Valuing World Cultures
4. Understanding the
American Experience

58. What is a Commons?
A set of resources maintained in the public
sphere for the use and benefit of everyone

59. What is a Commons?

60. What is a Commons?
Unnecessarily restricted content is like a
virus that spreads through the internet,
making the intellectual property
provenance of each generation of new
ideas less and less clear.
(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

61. What is a Commons?
Unnecessarily restricted content is like a
virus that spreads through the internet,
making the intellectual property
provenance of each generation of new
ideas less and less clear.
(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

62. What is a Commons?

63. What is a Commons?
An organized workshop where the raw materials of
knowledge can be found and
assembled into new things.

64. 12 ingredients of a commons

65. 12 ingredients of a commons
1. Federated (brings things together)
Smithsonian Collections Search Center
http://collections.si.edu/search/

66. 12 ingredients of a commons
2. Designed for YOU
Every user is a hero in their own epic journey
Via Kathy Sierra

67. 12 ingredients of a commons
3. Findable
iStockphoto

68. 12 ingredients of a commons
4. Shareable
Brooklyn Museum
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/157722/Morris_Kantor

69. 12 ingredients of a commons
5. Reusable
Example: Flickr

70. 12 ingredients of a commons
6. Free
“Free resources are crucial to
innovation and creativity”
Lawrence Lessig

71. 12 ingredients of a commons
6. Free
The Internet Archive “we provide
free access”
http://www.archive.org

72. 12 ingredients of a commons
7. Bulk download
Powerhouse Museum
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/download.php

73. 12 ingredients of a commons
8. Machine readable
data.gov

74. 12 ingredients of a commons
9. High resolution
NASA
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/panoramas/spirit/

75. 12 ingredients of a commons
10. Collaboration without control

76. 12 ingredients of a commons
10. Collaboration without control

77. “we are living in the middle of a remarkable increase in
our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and
to take collective action, all outside the framework of
traditional institutions and organization …Getting the
free and ready participation of a large, distributed
group with a variety of skills has gone from impossible
to simple.”
Clay Shirky

78. “we are living in the middle of a remarkable increase in
our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and
to take collective action, all outside the framework of
traditional institutions and organization …Getting the
free and ready participation of a large, distributed
group with a variety of skills has gone from impossible
to simple.”
Clay Shirky

79. “we are living in the middle of a remarkable increase in
our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and
to take collective action, all outside the framework of
traditional institutions and organization …Getting the
free and ready participation of a large, distributed
group with a variety of skills has gone from impossible
to simple.”
Clay Shirky

80. 12 ingredients of a commons
10. Collaboration without control
MIT Open Courseware
http://ocw.mit.edu

81. 12 ingredients of a commons
11. Network effects
OpenStreetMap
http://www.openstreetmap.org/

82. 12 ingredients of a commons
12. The Public Domain

83. The Public Domain is not “some gummy residue left
behind when all the good stuff has been covered by
property law. The public domain is the place where we
quarry the building blocks of our culture.”
James Boyle

84. The Public Domain is not “some gummy residue left
behind when all the good stuff has been covered by
property law. The public domain is the place where we
quarry the building blocks of our culture.”
James Boyle

85. The Public Domain is not “some gummy residue left
behind when all the good stuff has been covered by
property law. The public domain is the place where we
quarry the building blocks of our culture.”
James Boyle

86. 12 ingredients of a commons
… and a 13th?
http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

87. 12 ingredients of a commons
… and a 13th?
TRUST

88. 12 ingredients of a commons
… and a 13th?
TRUST
Why don’t we just let the private sector do this?
We are in the forever business. By putting something online—be it a cultural treasure, a
folk song, a fossil of a bug, a lecture, or a community—we are asking people to trust us.
We're not going to scam you. We're not going to violate your privacy. We're going to be
honest about what we do and don't know, we're going to be open to new ideas and
points of view, we're going to help each other figure out the world, and these promises
are good forever.
Museums are among the few organizations in our culture that enter into those kinds of
promises, and we take that responsibility very seriously.

89. 13 ingredients of a commons
• Federated • Bulk Download
• Designed for users • Machine Readable
• Findable • High Resolution
• Shareable • Collaboration w/o
• Reusable control
• Free • Network effects
• Public Domain
• Trust

90. What is a Commons?
http://www.si.edu/commons/prototype

91. What is a Commons?
Text version of this talk: Museums and the Commons: Helping
Makers Get Stuff Done
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museums-and-the-commons-
helping-makers-get-stuff-done-677905
Imagining a Smithsonian Commons
• http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/cil-2009-michael-edson-text-version
Prototyping the Smithsonian Commons
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/michael-edson-prototyping-the-
smithsonian-commons

92. What is a Commons?
Text version of this talk: Museums and the Commons: Helping
Makers Get Stuff Done
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museums-and-the-commons-
helping-makers-get-stuff-done-677905
Also, a video
Imagining a Smithsonian Commons
• http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/cil-2009-michael-edson-text-version
Prototyping the Smithsonian Commons
A 15-minute talk at the Walker Art Center
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/michael-edson-prototyping-the-
Video (starts at minute 12):
smithsonian-commons http://channel.walkerart.org/play/opening-the-field/
Updated 6/21/2010

93. Thank You!
Michael Edson
@mpedson
http://slideshare.net/edsonm