SAcommunity Information Management
Photo: David Webb (SAcommunity Community Information Team)
SAcommunity Information Management Team:
South Australian Community Service Database Evaluation: Coverage, Overlap, Indexing and Retrieval
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Interested in helping Connecting Up evaluate the SAcommunity database to improve the online directory records of South Australian community services?
Join our SAcommunity Information Management Team, to undertake an array of practical Information and Collection Management projects, to assess, correct and improve the SAcommunity directory database. Projects involve organising, controlling and presenting information effectively to meet users' information needs and in evaluating the collection for comprehensiveness and overlap with the Infoxchange Service Seeker (ISS) National Directory.
Project Subject Areas:
1) Analytical Information Management
Collection Evaluation Activities:
a) Directory (Subset or Subject Area) Coverage and Comprehensiveness
b) Database (Subset or Subject Area) List Checking/Comparative Checking and Database Overlap with Infoxchange's Service Seeker (ISS)
2) Operational Information Management
Information Management Activities:
a) Organising and controlling information records using content principles, standards and tools (information architecture, cataloguing, indexing, classification, categorisation, subject headings, community thesaurus), checking content using search results to improve information retrieval, and modifying records in response.
a) Organising and controlling information records using content principles, standards and tools (information architecture, cataloguing, indexing, classification, categorisation, subject headings, community thesaurus), checking content using search results to improve information retrieval, and modifying records in response.
Project Evaluation Topics:
Does the database contain a specific information set required for a specific need?
This project can be undertaken for:
i) a specific target community (client-centred evaluation)
i.e. Are services available to support ex-defence force personnel? Or for people requiring food assistance? For seniors looking for social activities? Or for a given multicultural group listed?
ii) a specific topic (collection-centred evaluation - subject)
i.e. Are all theatre groups listed? Does the search query "Theatre" retrieve expected results or unexpected services and why? Can we correct or update records for 'noise reduction' in the search and database?
iii) a specific organisation (collection-centred evaluation - service)
i.e. Are all Kiwanis Clubs operating in SA listed? Are some missing? Closed? Who do we contact? Can we add these records? Do they all contain similar standard simplified information on their activities and services? Similarly structured titles for improved browsing?
iv) a specific database (collection-centred evaluation – title - list checking)
i.e. Are the same services listed in a subgroup export of SAcommunity reflected in a Service Seeker directory search? Are they missing? Does the service currently exist? Are there inconsistencies? Differences in the record titles, services, contact details?
Skills Required: Interest in, or knowledge of Information Management and/or Library and Information Services and/or associated areas: Database and Collection Management, Information Organisation: Classification, Indexing, Information Architecture.
Interest in, or knowledge of the social and not-for-profit and community sector.
Good information literacy and digital literacy skills.
Remote/onsite: Project can be undertaken remotely
Examples: Read about some of our current volunteers' and students’ experiences >>here: https://sacommunity.org/node/757 and our recent intern https://sacommunity.org/node/853
Project Background
SAcommunity Overview
Established in 1981, SAcommunity is a free, online community information service directory for South Australia supported by the Government of South Australia and Public Library Services (PLS). The service is maintained by the Community Information Team, and provided by Connecting Up Inc. a subsidiary of the Infoxchange Group a not-for-profit delivering technology for social justice for over 30 years.
SAcommunity Service Summary
SAcommunity provides: A free Search Engine Optimised (SEO), collaboratively editable website directory of accessible, authoritative, relevant and comprehensive information, to assist people find local services and facilities that will help them.
SAcommunity value-added services include: Database exports for shared use, e-campaigns, communication and consultation to strengthen engagement, research and re-use between government, councils and their community, with exports for the Data.SA open data portal and APIs for Public Libraries SA ‘One Card’ catalogue network, pairing users with resources and services.
Data analytics for decision-making and research on community demands, resources and needs in South Australian Councils. Social media channels for community sector news and the widespread promotion and awareness of community service providers, their activities, events and services across the state.
SAcommunity Service Value
The value of the SAcommunity information service lies in the information management activities performed by the SAcommunity Volunteer Team, to create meaningful, usable directory records from traditionally dynamic, fragmented, dated and dispersed details across websites into one website and single export source. The directory is continually updated and maintained, conserving and maximising resources usually required in generating and maintaining the same data and contact details between and within individual councils, libraries and government departments across the state.
Connecting Up's SAcommunity and Infoxchange's Service Seeker
Connecting Up’s SAcommunity community service directory data is being imported into Infoxchange’s Service Seeker, an Australian directory of health and welfare services. Utilising the single data platform will conserve resources and provide opportunities for further products to respond to community information needs. Shared data can be used across joint products such as Ask Izzy. Combining directories also allows for national data insights into service demand in areas such as homelessness, food assistance, mental health, and need for connection, with clubs supporting social participation.
What is the project?
Community Information Team members continually collect, confirm, collate, review, summarise and simplify information into concise, systematically organised and indexed, records. Creating records that are clear, explanatory, organised across useable formats (website, csv, json, API) using structure, labelling and indexing to provide multiple access points to the information available, reducing noise and improving access, relevance and precision.
Information Management Team
Following the Community Information Team and in advance of the data import, the Information Management Team evaluate the SAcommunity database collection in terms of scope (within the defined collection policy), indexing consistency within the controlled vocabulary (thesauri, subject heading lists, primary categories), comprehensiveness, currency, overlap between databases (SAcommunity versus Service Seeker) and reliability/authority (in alignment with the database style guide and authoritative sources) to edit, clean, check and correct the directory data, data elements and records.
There are over 14,000 community services listed in South Australia, so we could do with some help!
Who are we working with?
Community services are on the front line of supporting vulnerable people and all community members, with accessible, accurate community information key to strengthening engagement with local government associations and in helping to build resilient and connected communities.
Consequently, SAcommunity is used by a range of stakeholders in government, councils, libraries and service providers for referrals, communication, consultation, and research. To form strong networks, Connecting Up Inc. is committed to Open Data with SAcommunity datasets available to under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Exports are provided in Data.SA for innovative reuse in GovHack and data provided by APIs to the Public Library Service ‘One Card’ catalogue network.
What is the outcome?
Maintaining and presenting community information service data in an accurate, accessible, and understandable way assists users and stakeholders including government, councils, public libraries and service providers to to understand local community needs. To have an awareness of the locally based services that exist to assist them in serving their population effectively and involve local services in designing, shaping and delivering programs, grants and wellbeing strategies.
Benefits for Volunteers and Students?
Volunteers and Students become part of the SAcommunity Community Information Team, specialising in the Information Management Team areas, working on a database that is well-known across the government and community sector. Volunteer contributions are recorded with experience reports from volunteer management software programs available to add to resumes or LinkedIn profiles.
Volunteers and Students receive opportunities for training and professional development, including access to Connecting Up’s Digital Learning Platform featuring tech-based webinars for the NFP sector from a range of industry experts across the country.
Volunteers and Students also have access to the volunteer/placement mentor program with Information Management Team Volunteers and Students able to meet with Connecting Up or Infoxchange staff currently working in related fields for a one-to-one conversation online. Mentees can ask questions to discuss their mentors career history, and this program allows mentees to consider their short-term and long-term goals, and areas for development, they can also raise topics around workplace communication, networking, help in learning organisation culture, situational advice and skills.
Volunteers and Students additionally have access to Infoxchange's People and Culture Team's remote/online workplace wellness program with health, wellbeing and education services including weekly lunchtime activities: Remote Yoga, Meditation and Reiki sessions along with regular Lunch and Learn Team sessions to hear from a range of talented people with experience in the not-for-profit sector and/or technology.
The final benefit is that students can undertake their placement and volunteers can expand their skills within a recognised tech-based, not-for-profit organisation that brings about positive social change.
About Us
Established in 1981, SAcommunity is a free, online community information service supported by the Government of South Australia and Public Library Services (PLS), provided by Connecting Up.
Connecting Up provides a variety of technology-based information, products, training and services for the not-for-profit sector in Australia and New Zealand. A member of the TechSoup Global Network, all partners are leading civil society organisations and manage a range of capacity building programs in their countries.
Connecting Up is a service of Infoxchange, a not-for-profit social enterprise that has been delivering technology for social justice for over 30 years.With over 180 staff in offices across Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and New Zealand, the group tackles the biggest social challenges through the smart and creative use of technology.
About the Volunteer and Placement Program
Connecting Up has an established Volunteer and Student Placement program, are registered with Volunteering SA&NT and have volunteer insurance and public liability insurance.
Find out more on our Volunteer and Placement Program >>here https://sacommunity.org/volunteers
Interested in Volunteering?
If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Community Information and Volunteer Coordinator at cmcintyre@infoxchange.org or call 08 8212 8555 extension 203 for more information.
