The Wikipedia Library-The largest encyclopedia needs a digital library and we are building it/With​ ​Librarians:​ ​ ​Collaboration​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Shared​ ​Vision

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2480639The Wikipedia Library-The largest encyclopedia needs a digital library and we are building it — With​ ​Librarians:​ ​ ​Collaboration​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Shared​ ​Vision

​With​ ​Librarians:​ ​ ​Collaboration​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Shared​ ​Vision

"My​ ​library

Was​ ​dukedom​ ​large​ ​enough."
— William​ ​Shakespeare

The​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Library​ ​envisions​ ​librarians​ ​and​ ​Wikipedians​ ​as​ ​natural​ ​allies​ ​in​ ​working​ ​towards a​ ​goal​ ​of​ ​access​ ​to​ ​reliable​ ​information.

An​ ​early​ ​effort​ ​pioneered​ ​by​ ​TWL,​ ​in​ ​partnership​ ​with​ ​OCLC,​ ​was​ ​the​ ​creation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​first-ever Wikipedia​ ​Visiting​ ​Scholar​ ​(WVS)​ ​roles.​15 ​Through​ ​the​ ​WVS​ ​program,​ ​Wikipedia​ ​editors​ ​gain ​ online​ ​access​ ​to​ ​an​ ​educational​ ​institution's​ ​library​ ​resources​ ​like​ ​databases,​ ​journals,​ ​ebooks, and​ ​special​ ​collections.​ ​A​ ​WVS,​ ​like​ ​a​ ​Wikipedian-in-Residence​ ​(WIR),​ ​works​ ​in​ ​partnership with​ ​an​ ​institution​ ​to​ ​help​ ​expose​ ​its​ ​content​ ​on​ ​Wikipedia.​ ​The​ ​WVS​ ​role​ ​differs​ ​in​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is remote,​ ​unpaid,​ ​and​ ​primarily​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​creating​ ​content​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​building​ ​institutional capacity​.​ ​Libraries​ ​get​ ​involved​ ​because​ ​of​ ​a​ ​desire​ ​to​ ​see​ ​their​ ​collections​ ​put​ ​to​ ​good​ ​use​ ​and​ ​to make​ ​a​ ​difference​ ​in​ ​public​ ​knowledge​ ​in​ ​one​ ​or​ ​more​ ​topic​ ​areas.​ ​Wikipedians​ ​receive​ ​access​ ​to specialized​ ​and​ ​paywalled​ ​content​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​and​ ​improve​ ​articles​ ​in​ ​topic​ ​areas​ ​they​ ​already​ ​care about.​ ​A​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Visiting​ ​Scholar​ ​at​ ​Rutgers​ ​University​ ​shared:

“This​ ​was​ ​both​ ​Rutgers​ ​University’s​ ​first​ ​collaboration​ ​with​ ​Wikipedians,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​[my] first​ ​collaboration​ ​of​ ​this​ ​type​ ​with​ ​an​ ​organization.​ ​The​ ​initiative​ ​from​ ​Rutgers’s​ ​side was​ ​directed​ ​by​ ​...​ ​Grace​ ​Agnew,​ ​who​ ​has​ ​been​ ​accessible,​ ​friendly,​ ​and​ ​resourceful throughout​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​exchange.​ ​As​ ​part​ ​of​ ​this​ ​initiative,​ ​twelve​ ​members​ ​from​ ​the Rutgers​ ​University​ ​team​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​more​ ​about​ ​how​ ​to​ ​add​ ​content​ ​to​ ​Wikipedia. Aside​ ​from​ ​teaching​ ​librarians​ ​and​ ​students​ ​about​ ​Wikipedia,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​also​ ​been​ ​the student.​ ​Graduate​ ​students​ ​Yingting​ ​and​ ​Yu-Hung​ ​jointly​ ​held​ ​a​ ​video​ ​conference​ ​with me​ ​on​ ​how​ ​to​ ​access​ ​the​ ​library​ ​resources​ ​of​ ​Rutgers​ ​remotely​ ​and​ ​how​ ​to​ ​use​ ​Medical Subject​ ​Headings​ ​(MeSH)​ ​to​ ​investigate​ ​healthcare-related​ ​subjects.”​16

While​ ​the​ ​program​ ​is​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​content​ ​creation​ ​it​ ​also​ ​clearly​ ​opens​ ​a​ ​channel​ ​for​ ​exchange​ ​of ideas,​ ​making​ ​it​ ​an​ ​ideal​ ​entry-point​ ​for​ ​institutional​ ​partnerships.​ ​The​ ​Visiting​ ​Scholars​ ​program was​ ​piloted​ ​by​ ​TWL​ ​in​ ​2014​ ​and​ ​was​ ​passed​ ​off​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Wiki​ ​Edu​ ​Foundation​ ​for​ ​all​ ​North American​ ​positions​ ​in​ ​2016.

The​ ​#1lib1ref​ ​campaign​ ​(​http://1lib1ref.org) ​goes​ ​further,​ ​calling​ ​upon​ ​librarians​ ​all​ ​over​ ​the world​ ​to​ ​add​ ​a​ ​single​ ​citation​ ​to​ ​Wikipedia​ ​themselves.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​created​ ​by​ ​TWL​ ​to​ ​offer​ ​a low-barrier-to-entry​ ​option​ ​for​ ​engagement,​ ​using​ ​a​ ​combination​ ​of​ ​a​ ​microcontribution,​ ​a semi-automated​ ​interface,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​viral​ ​hashtag.​ ​The​ ​#1lib1ref​ ​campaign​ ​took​ ​advantage​ ​of​ ​the ​ volunteer-developed​ ​Citation​ ​Hunt​ ​tool​ ​(https://tools.wmflabs.org/citationhunt​),​ ​which automatically​ ​isolates​ ​sentences​ ​flagged​ ​with​ ​a​ ​“citation​ ​needed”​ ​tag,​ ​and​ ​presents​ ​them​ ​to​ ​the user​ ​for​ ​fixing.​ ​This​ ​simple​ ​workflow​ ​fostered​ ​significant​ ​participation​ ​rates​ ​in​ ​both​ ​English​ ​and other​ ​language​ ​Wikipedias.

#1lib1ref​ ​was​ ​conceived​ ​in​ ​fall​ ​2015​ ​by​ ​TWL​ ​project​ ​manager​ ​Alex​ ​Stinson,​ ​who​ ​recognized​ ​the potential​ ​of​ ​Citation​ ​Hunt.​ ​He​ ​took​ ​the​ ​functionality​ ​and​ ​connected​ ​it​ ​to​ ​an​ ​opportunity:​ ​other GLAM​ ​communities​ ​had​ ​not​ ​yet​ ​developed​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​celebrate​ ​the​ ​upcoming​ ​15-year​ ​anniversary of​ ​Wikipedia​ ​in​ ​January​ ​2016.​ ​Inspired​ ​by​ ​the​ ​changing​ ​conversation​ ​about​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​Wikipedia in​ ​research​ ​and​ ​among​ ​libraries,​ ​the​ ​TWL​ ​team​ ​developed​ ​a​ ​campaign​ ​with​ ​the​ ​goal​ ​to​ ​develop increased​ ​literacy​ ​and​ ​understanding​ ​among​ ​librarians​ ​about​ ​how​ ​Wikipedia’s​ ​content​ ​is​ ​created and​ ​improved​ ​through​ ​verifiability,​ ​while​ ​generating​ ​awareness​ ​that​ ​other​ ​libraries​ ​are​ ​taking advantage​ ​of​ ​Wikipedia​ ​as​ ​an​ ​environment​ ​in​ ​which​ ​to​ ​further​ ​public​ ​programming.​ ​"Give Wikipedia​ ​the​ ​gift​ ​of​ ​a​ ​citation.​ ​Because​ ​facts​ ​matter​ ​#1lib1ref"​ ​was​ ​seen​ ​widely​ ​throughout social​ ​media​ ​platforms.

The​ ​campaign’s​ ​first​ ​two​ ​years​ ​have​ ​proven​ ​to​ ​be​ ​quite​ ​successful.​ ​In​ ​2016,​ ​there​ ​were​ ​over 29,000​ ​views​ ​of​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​page,​ ​coverage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​event​ ​in​ ​over​ ​50​ ​different​ ​venues​ ​(blogs, professional​ ​newsletters,​ ​etc.),​ ​over​ ​1,100​ ​Twitter​ ​posts​ ​using​ ​the​ ​hashtag,​ ​and​ ​at​ ​least​ ​1,232​ ​edits to​ ​Wikimedia​ ​projects.​ ​Though​ ​1,232​ ​citations​ ​barely​ ​scratches​ ​a​ ​dent​ ​in​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​citations needed​ ​for​ ​Wikipedia​ ​(English​ ​Wikipedia​ ​has​ ​over​ ​300,000​ ​“citation​ ​needed”​ ​tags),​ ​it​ ​did generate​ ​broad​ ​interest.​17

​ In​ ​2017,​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​expanded​ ​by​ ​a​ ​factor​ ​of​ ​three​ ​to​ ​over​ ​4,171​ ​contributions​ ​in​ ​18​ ​languages, with​ ​continued​ ​positive​ ​press,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​events​ ​and​ ​support​ ​from​ ​local​ ​language​ ​Wikimedia communities.​18 ​One​ ​particularly​ ​motivating​ ​story:​ ​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Library​ ​of​ ​Queensland​ ​committed​ ​to and​ ​accomplished​ ​contributing​ ​1,000​ ​references​ ​during​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​from​ ​among​ ​their​ ​staff. This​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​campaign​ ​builds​ ​awareness​ ​and​ ​interest​ ​among​ ​the​ ​library​ ​community​ ​and​ ​allows for​ ​a​ ​dialogue​ ​that​ ​further​ ​shifts​ ​the​ ​Wikimedia​ ​community​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​libraries,​ ​and libraries​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​goals​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Wikimedia​ ​community.

TWL,​ ​recognizing​ ​a​ ​need​ ​for​ ​persistent​ ​meeting​ ​and​ ​conversation​ ​spaces,​ ​has​ ​supported​ ​and helped​ ​develop​ ​two​ ​new​ ​venues​ ​to​ ​further​ ​dialogue​ ​between​ ​Wikipedians​ ​and​ ​Librarians:​ ​ ​700 members​ ​have​ ​joined​ ​the​ ​Wikipedia​ ​+​ ​Libraries​ ​Facebook​ ​group,​ ​and​ ​over​ ​130​ ​participants​ ​are signed​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​newly​ ​formed​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Library​ ​User​ ​Group.​ ​These​ ​fora​ ​spark​ ​regular mingling,​ ​noteworthy​ ​updates,​ ​and​ ​cross-pollination​ ​of​ ​ideas​ ​among​ ​Wikipedians​ ​and​ ​librarians, fostering​ ​a​ ​shared​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​identity​ ​and​ ​belonging​ ​to​ ​a​ ​community​ ​of​ ​practice​ ​around​ ​Wikipedia and​ ​Libraries.

The​ ​capstone​ ​of​ ​advocating​ ​for​ ​such​ ​mutually​ ​a​ ​beneficial​ ​and​ ​interconnected​ ​relationship​ ​came when​ ​TWL​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Federation​ ​of​ ​Library​ ​Associations​ ​(IFLA)​ ​to​ ​publish two​ ​seminal​ ​white​ ​papers​ ​(http://www.ifla.org/node/10871​):​ ​ ​one​ ​on​ ​the​ ​opportunities​ ​for​ ​academic and​ ​research​ ​libraries​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​Wikipedia,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​paper​ ​aimed​ ​at​ ​public​ ​libraries. These​ ​papers​ ​outline​ ​multiple​ ​areas​ ​of​ ​potential​ ​collaboration.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​Wikimedia​ ​projects ​provide​ ​a​ ​venue​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​cultural​ ​heritage​ ​resources​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​convey​ ​diverse​ ​perspectives to​ ​a​ ​diverse​ ​audience.​ ​Another​ ​path​ ​forward​ ​lies​ ​through​ ​structured​ ​data​ ​on​ ​Wikimedia's multimedia​ ​repository​ ​site​ ​Wikimedia​ ​Commons​ ​and​ ​the​ ​sister​ ​project​ ​Wikidata,​ ​which​ ​can enhance​ ​linkages​ ​between​ ​items​ ​and​ ​collections​ ​to​ ​support​ ​research​ ​across​ ​multiple​ ​semantic frameworks.​ ​The​ ​papers​ ​also​ ​express​ ​opportunities​ ​for​ ​professional​ ​development​ ​within​ ​library communities,​ ​in​ ​which​ ​Wikipedia​ ​editing​ ​skills​ ​can​ ​benefit​ ​a​ ​librarian's​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​grasp​ ​popular contemporary​ ​research​ ​practices,​ ​teach​ ​about​ ​digital​ ​information​ ​literacy​ ​and​ ​collaborative knowledge​ ​production,​ ​initiate​ ​community​ ​programs,​ ​and​ ​highlight​ ​their​ ​collections​ ​to​ ​the​ ​world.

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