The ZOONIVERSE is Expanding: Crowdsourced Solutions to the Hidden Collections Problem and the Rise of the Revolutionary Cataloging Interface

Abstract

Abstract Experimental crowdsourced strategies pertaining to library resource description are becoming increasingly common. This research introduces the term “revolutionary cataloging interface” to describe the characteristics of crowdsourced metadata creation portals: capable of being learned during a 10–15 minute tutorial, requiring little or no previous cataloging experience, yet with demonstrated potential for producing robust and rich metadata with an impressive level of automated quality control. Focusing on a case study of Zooniverse’s Operation War Diary, this paper investigates, explains, and assesses the potential of such innovations to meet successfully the challenges posed by Hidden Collections.