"If you build it, will they come?" Lessons learned from the workshop on participant interaction in digital libraries

A workshop hosted by the Math Forum, brought together over thirty experts from the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) program and representatives from online communities to discuss and identify promising models of participant involvement for the NSDL and NSDL-funded projects. The workshop leveraged the expertise of attendees to identify tools and reporting mechanisms, develop strategies and formulate recommendation that helps NSDL projects incorporate, support and grow the communities who use their digital libraries. Workshop attendees also provided a rich set of examples of how users are currently involved in building and maintaining NSDL digital libraries and the potential impact of their involvement. Participant involvement is a critical factor not only in developing educational digital libraries, but also in sustaining the resources, the technology and most importantly, the communities who use them.