Projects delivered in the past month
| Event | Date | Location | Attendees | New users | Gender breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia for Postgraduates & Researchers | 10 February 2016 | University of St Andrews | 13 | 12 | 38% female |
| Wikipedia for Museums, Training for Museums Studies Class | 10 February 2016 | University of St Andrews | 18 | 18 (16 recorded) | 100 % female |
| ILW Editathon | 16-18 Feb 2016 | University of Edinburgh | See University of Edinburgh Wiki project page | ||
| CILIP training event | 26 Feb 2016 | Edinburgh Central Library | 4 | 3 | 75% female |
Statistics
| Event | Date | New accounts created | Articles improved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia for Museums, Museums Studies at the University of St Andrews | Wednesday 10 February | ||
| Wikipedia for postgraduates and researchers training session at the University of St Andrews | Wednesday 10 February | ||
| CILIP training event | Friday 26 February |
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Objectives & outcomes
| WMUK | Museums Galleries Scotland |
|---|---|
| G1: Develop Open Knowledge | G1.1 help Scottish museums increase the quality of the existing open knowledge surrounding their collections. G1.2 assist museums to make more open knowledge available through various channels and projects, G1.3 work specifically with the Recognised Collections to make more open knowledge and images available through Wikipedia and their own websites licence free. |
| G2a: Develop, involve & engage WMUK volunteers | G2a.1 encourage and assist museum curators to become competent WMUK volunteers. G2a.2 assist museum curators to help share their expert collections knowledge with other WMUK volunteers. G2a.3 Work with other Scottish voluntary organisations to involve them where relevant in open data projects taking place in Scottish museums and galleries. |
| G3: Reduce barriers to accessing open knowledge | G3.1 we will improve awareness of the benefits of open knowledge through education within the Scottish museum sector. G3.2 we will actively work with a range of partners including the Scottish Government to help inform, develop and deliver a strategic action plan for responsible use of open data in Scottish museums. |
| G5: Develop, support and engage with other Wikimedia & Open Knowledge Communities | G5.1 participate and encourage membership to the Scottish DigitaI Transformation Network. G5.2 encourage partnership projects between Scottish museums to release their metadata licence free through API or other sources. |
Developing Open Knowledge
- I assisted with the University of Edinburgh's Innovative Learning Week History of Medicine Editathon, supporting new Resident Ewan.
- During this editathon, I used Flickr2Commons to upload 477 images to WikiCommons. Some were from an individual user, and which related to Scottish Museums, but the bulk were from Cornell University Library, and related both to Scotland and England. Following that event I have now also uploaded 82 images from the Museum of Hartlepool, created a category Images from the Museum of Hartlepool, and updated additional images from the same source which had been left uncategorised.
- Work continues with Groam House Museum, to develop an action plan for work over the next few months to open the George Bain collection, which is a Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland.
- A meeting was held with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum at Stirling Castle, following the presentation made to the Association of Scottish Military Museums. I am assisting them and their intern (who attended training at the University of Edinburgh's ILW editathon) in designing a GLAMWiki project to be carried out by said intern which aims to open their collection. It has been indicated that this project would not focus directly on miltary history, but would look instead for more unusual angles.
- A meeting was held with a curator from the Glasgow School of Art to discuss and Art+Feminism event in May 2016.
- Work continues on preparation for another editathon with the Scottish National Galleries, Modern Scottish Women #2, as part of Art + Feminism.
- A query from a student at the University of Dundee about assisting with a project was received; I am attempting to pair him up with the contact we have there at the Museums service who has undergone Wiki training.
- Having made contact with Glasgow Women's Library, we are at the early planning stages of developing an event for staff & volunteers concerned with using their materials to add biographies of women to Wikipedia.
Develop, involve and engage WMUK volunteers
- Two training sessions were held at the University of St Andrews, one with the Museums Studies Class, and another with a group of postgraduates, researchers & staff. Feedback was very positive with the course leader for Museums Studies commenting that had my project been continuing for another year that she would have asked me back to train the next year's class. The Postgraduate/research/staff group were also keen, with some taking information about using Wiki in the classroom, and others expressing interest in continuing Wiki activity. One member of the group was put in contact with Wikimedia Hong Kong, as he will return home soon.
- A training day was held for members of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland on Friday 26 February. Participants were positive and feedback was received that the session had inspired them to advocate within their organisations (inc 2 large library groups) for further work.
Reducing barriers to accessing open knowledge
- I made a presentation to the Association of Scottish Military Museums on Friday 5 February, distributing Wiki materials and answering queries about conflict of interest. Queries have been received from 2 museums as a result and a meeting has been held with one of them.
- With the assistance of MGS' Statistician, two questionnaires have been developed as part of the preparation of the 12 month summary & reflections report. These have been rolled out and responses are beginning to come back in.
- I attended a workshop run by Museums Galleries Scotland on the updated PSI Directive and its implications for Museums.
- Myself and Jason Evans have put together a conference proposal for the MA conference in late 2016, to be submitted through MGS.
Developing, supporting & engaging with other Wikimedia & Open Knowledge communities
- I will make presentations at DLNET, OER16 and Glasgow University's Learning & Teaching Conference in March / April.
- Work continues on using WMUK data to engage the Scottish Wiki community further.
- I have volunteered to assist in the production of a simple leaflet for distribution to small GLAMs explaining more about the benefits of open culture.
- I have been involved in various discussions around the use of Wikidata for Museums with other members of the WMUK community.