Module 7: Community-based Information Resources – INFO 200

Many information communities of all sizes, shapes, and stripes are built on the concept of participation. Even before the internet, groups were organizing, sharing, and creating information resources as part of their culture. Participatory culture, defined by Henry Jenkins in Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture (2006), “is a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations, and some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices” (p. 3). Networked technologies only amplify the possibilities for communities to form and thrive. When barriers fall away, participation is possible. This module explores community-created information resources and how participation can create positive outcomes. Consider what information resources your community is creating as you explore this module.