Digital initiatives for local communities on the basis of Polish example

Abstract

The Internet offers many functionalities dedicated to people interested in the local history of their small communities. Many of them – maps, traditional and geocaching games, websites, escape rooms, are projected and managed by libraries. I am going to present the most important and interesting digital initiatives addressed to small local communities that help them to develop their knowledge about history, demography and value of these places. Thanks to digital environment and technologies, many ideas of regional point of view may be developed, shared but also co-created. The important question is how and why libraries should participate in developing them. The paper does not strictly show the historical perspective, but many of presented ideas arise from the historical experience in which libraries and other local institutions realized that they play a great role in development of local society.