How NYPL Labs Turns Physical Data Into Digital Knowledge

Join Hacks/Hackers NYC on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. when the New York Public Library Labs (http://www.nypl.org/labs) reveals the ways they explore their vast collection and the tools they've built to accelerate digitization and attract and encourage public participation.

How do you transform physical media into digitized datasets? How do you do structured document data extraction when the document itself is complex? And what tools can be made to involve the public in this work? The team at NYPL Labs has been solving these problems and more.

Among the projects the team will discuss at Hacks/Hackers NYC:

Map Vectorizer (https://github.com/NYPL/map-vectorizer), an open source map polygon and feature extractor. This still-in-beta tool can transcribe in a day what has taken volunteers 3 years to do by hand. Stereogranimator (http://stereo.nypl.org), a 3D photo remixing tool that brings static stereographs to life What's on the Menu (http://menus.nypl.org), a crowd transcription project that explores culture and history through food. Plus a variety of works in progress

To attend How NYPL Labs Turns Physical Data Into Digital Knowledge, RSVP today ($10, payable in advance) to Hacks/Hackers NYC (https://www.meetup.com/hacks-hackers-nyc/events/15100114/).

Refund policy: Cancel at least 24 hours before the event (that is, no later than 6 p.m. Sept. 9) to receive a full refund. We cannot issue refunds after that time.

More about the NYPL Labs Team:

A digital skunkworks within the New York Public Library, NYPL Labs works to create interactive experiences and tools to modernize library research. The core team of six includes Paul Beaudoin, Brian Foo, Mauricio Giraldo, Matt Miller, David Riordan, Trevor Thornton, and is managed by Ben Vershbow.

The agenda:

6P: Doors and light dinner

6:30P: Presentation with Q&A

~7:30P: Hiring announcements

8P: We head to the Southwest Porch (http://www.bryantpark.org/things-to-do/southwest_porch.html) in Bryant Park for cash bar and more socializing

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