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Wikipedia:GLAM/SLIC/3 month report

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Institution Resident Residency period Period covered Date of report
Scottish Library & Information Council Sara Thomas August 2017 - April 2019 14 August 2017 - 31st October 2017 28 November 2017

Information is presented below in line with the notes detailed here, provided by WMUK with the template report in October 2017.

Decal of Manic Street Preachers' excellent and highly appropriate song quote, displayed in Greenock Central Library, Greenock, Scotland.

Overview

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  • Between August and the end of December 2017, the resident is in place for 2 days per week. This will increase to three days per week as of January 2018. During September the resident was working on another major project in another role and worked 1 day per week, with additional days made up in October / November.
  • These first three months were characterised primarily by introducing myself to the sector, agreeing partners for phase one of the project / getting training days in place, and general advocacy through speaking opportunities. Experience gained at my last residency at Museums Galleries Scotland indicated that a "quick win" event at the beginning of the residency would serve the residency well in being able to evidence the usefulness of working with Wiki to immediate stakeholders, as well as providing a case study for short to medium term advocacy work whilst phase one progressed. My other current role is as Project Officer for Dig It! 2017, working on Scotland in Six, a signature event for Visit Scotland's Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, and its partner piece Scotland in Six: Hidden Gems. The latter sought to identify and celebrate Scotland's six favourite lesser known History, Heritage and Archaeology sites. Using this campaign as a springboard, and as the strategic aims of both projects were aligned, I organised a co-produced editathon, which served as a finishing point for SiS:HG, and a starting point for SLIC's residency.
  • The Steering Group was formed and met for the first time, and provides an excellent basis for progress for the residency.

Strategic goal one

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Increase the quality and quantity of coverage of subjects that are currently underrepresented on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects
Outcomes Outputs
  • Develop open knowledge
  • Establish public libraries as key creators of high quality digital content on Scottish culture
  • Public library staff will be trained as Wikipedia editors and content creators
  • Public library staff will support library users to become Wikipedia editors and content creators
  • Increased volume of articles on Wikipedia covering Scottish culture (including Gaelic language material)
  • Greater availability of, and access to, open knowledge


Progress narrative

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  • The co-produced Scotland's Hidden Gems Editathon was held on Heritage Awareness Day (Friday 6 October) to celebrate the end of Scotland in Six: Hidden Gems (Dig It! 2017) and the beginning of the SLIC residency. Partners from four public library services were engaged, as well as one remote participant, and representatives from the SLIC Residency Steering Group, and a the University of Edinburgh. A small number of new articles were created and improved, with one article to date sadly still being held in AfC, nearly 60 days since submission. Although small, the event was very useful in terms of raising the profile and awareness of underrepresented Scottish content on the encyclopedia, and in starting conversations with key library partners.
  • An induction day with Inverclyde Library Service (our project partner for the residency) was held on Friday 25 August, on site at Inverclyde Library Service. This was invaluable in terms of understanding more about the structure of the Library service, as well as opportunities and restrictions in place, which has helped to inform the design of training materials.

Events

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Date & duration Event name Location Attendees Usernames/link Trainers
Friday 6 October 2017 10:00 - 16:00 Hidden Gems Editathon Edinburgh Central Library 10 Dashboard link Sara Thomas

Partnership interactions

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Date Activity/purpose of meeting Institution/partner Location Attendees Meeting/Presentation/Conference Talk link
Friday 25 August Induction meeting with project partner Inverclyde Libraries Inverclyde Head Office Various staff n/a

Data and/or description of Other Projects under SG1

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  • I took part in #WikiLovesMonuments, encouraged sharing of social media content on my own and SLIC's accounts.
  • I undertook initial discussions with partner libraries about obtaining openly licensed images of libraries themselves, however ran into difficulty concerning ownership of images & OTRS permissions. This has been put on hold for the moment due to time restrictions.

Strategic goal two

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Support the development of open knowledge in the UK, by increasing the understanding and recognition of the value of open knowledge and advocating for the change at an organisational, sectoral and public policy level
Outcomes Outputs
Nothing assigned Nothing assigned

Progress narrative

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  • SLIC facilitates a sector-wide "Digital Champions" group, which meets on a regular basis throughout the year. (I spoke at a previous meeting of this group during my residency at Museums Galleries Scotland, and which led to this residency being set up.) This group brings together representatives from all local authority library services across Scotland and provided a good opportunity to introduce the residency, as well as appeal for phase 1 partners.
  • The CILIPS Autumn Gathering took place on Thursday 26 October, at which I was given an opportunity to speak to introduce the residency, and more generally advocate for open knowledge in a library context.
  • The Steering group for the residency was formed and met for the first time on Friday 13 October.

Events

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Date & duration Event name Location Attendees Details
Thursday 26 October 2017 CILIPS Autumn Gathering Doubletree by Hilton, Glasgow 25 Scottish Libraries, Hidden Gems, & a Wikimedian in Residence: open knowledge and working with Wikimedia for digital inclusion, literacy & learning
Wed 6 September 2017 SLIC Digital Champions Meeting Edinburgh Codebase 25 SLIC's Wikimedian in Residence

Partnership interactions

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  • Various - networking opportunities at CILIPS Autumn Gathering
  • Friday 13 October - Meeting of the residency Steering group held at NLS office, Edinburgh

Media

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Social media

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n/a

Strategic Goal three

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To support the use of the Wikimedia projects as important tools for education and learning in the UK
Outcomes Outputs
  • Enhance skill set of public library staff
  • Improve digital skills development offer of public libraries
  • Participating users will develop their digital skills through exploring culture and creativity

Progress narrative

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  • Since the beginning of my residency at Museums Galleries Scotland I have maintained good relationships with various staff members at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, assisting at editathons and speaking at conferences as and when requested. I believe this to have been beneficial to both the progress of my own residencies and also to the open knowledge movement in Scotland more generally. I have also in the past had contact with groups at the Universities of St Andrews and Dundee. In line with this I offered to assist with the planning & delivery of the LitLong editathon at the University of Edinburgh, and attended the (re)launch of the Information Studies Subject area at the University of Glasgow.

Events

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Date & duration Event name Location Attendees Usernames/link Trainers

Partnership interactions

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Date Activity/purpose of meeting Institution/partner Location Attendees Meeting/Presentation/Conference Talk link
Thursday 7 Sept University of Glasgow Information Studies Launch University of Glasgow Kelvin Hall, Glasgow n/a n/a
Tuesday 31 October Editathon Planning (LitLong) University of Edinburgh Argyle House, Edinburgh 3 n/a

Other projects under education

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Projects/events in development (relating to any goal), if any

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  • Phase one partner training days set for November
  • Lit Long Editathon, November
  • Community Heritage Conference presentation (Archaeology Scotland / Historic Environment Scotland)
  • Digital & Information Literacy forum presentation at Scottish Goverment
  • #1lib1ref

Press/Media about the residency

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