Content Curation for Starters

Content Curation seems to have reached a tipping point, marked by the numerous curation tools around the web.   A webinar delivered by Beth Kanter in mid July was attended by over 600 people, and “sense making” entered Lucy Bernholz’s annual list of Buzzwords 2012. ( Though this word didn’t get the buzz because of “content curation”,  one of the key values of content curation is to make sense ).

As the term gets ubiquitous, it has a tendency of being overused.  Just like any other tools, it all depends on how we use it.  I personally believe content curation is a great tool for knowledge management and band building, and it works for both individuals and organizations.  The Latin root of the word “curation” means “taking care of”, which well explains the key to be a good content curator – care.  You’ll have to find a topic you really care and feel passionate about, then build content around the topic with great care through time.

Here are some resources I find helpful to get started with content curation.

1. Robin Good on content curation

Robin Good is a master on content curation.

1) Article: What Makes A Great Curator Great?

2) Curated site on Content Curation: Content Curation World

2. Beth Kanter on content curation for nonprofits

If you follow Beth Kanter, as many of us do in the nonprofit world,  you probably have already benefited from her deep insights and practical tips on content curation.

1) Article: Content Curation Primer

2) Article: NTEN Webinar Reflections and Resources: The Unanticipated Benefits of Content Curation

3) Slides: The Unanticipated Benefits of Content Curation

4) Archived articles tagged with “Content”

3. Helen Li’s research and understanding on content curation

1) Mini Research on content curation and copyright issues

It’s a collection of resources from my mini research project.  Having a good understanding on Fair Use and DMCA is important to content curators, and of course, good intention, too.

2) Slides: Content Curation Basics   PDF   PPT

This deck of slides is meant to build on the resources mentioned above, instead of serving as a stand-alone introduction of content curation. It covers my understanding on 3 key issues around content curation: the difference among content aggregation, curation and creation;  a model of content curation incorporating that of Beth Kanter’s and Rahit Bhargava’s;  the values of content curation.