Wikipedia:GLAM/NLS/NLS Wikimedian in Residence Report
| National Library of Scotland Wikimedian in Residence Progress Report |
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Background[edit]
What is a Wikimedian in Residence?[edit]
A Wikimedian (or Wikipedian) in Residence (WiR) is a Wikimedian who dedicates time to working in-house at an organization. The role is fundamentally about enabling the host organisation and its members to continue a productive relationship with the encyclopaedia and its community after the Residency is finished. The aim is to promote understanding of Wikimedia projects amongst NLS staff, as well as GLAM organisations in Scotland more generally, by organising workshops and events. The role essentially boils down to three component parts: facilitating content creation, internal political consultation for change, and working for benefit of the Wikimedia and GLAM communities.
Developing a residency programme at the NLS[edit]
Discussions regarding the installation of a Wikimedian in Residence at the National Library of Scotland first emerged out of a training session for NLS staff members held in Edinburgh by British Library WiR Andrew Gray in 2012. A proposal for support from WMUK was subsequently submitted, with the result being that WMUK offered a grant to supplement the costs of salary, and support costs for events, travel, and accommodation where required. The job opening was posted in April 2013, and as the first position of its kind in Scotland it received significant media attention across the UK. In July 2013, User:ACrockford took up the post in a part-time capacity for 8 months; this was then extended a further 4 months on a part time basis by the WMUK Board in December 2013.
Initial aims of residency[edit]
Current estimations suggest that the library holds between 17 and 21 million items in its collection, including unique items such as the last letter of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Order for the Massacre of Glencoe, and handwritten poems by Robert Burns. Initial concepts for an ideal outcome of the Wikimedian-in-Residence programme at the NLS included the opening up of access to these sources by uploading digitised copies to Wikisource or Wikimedia Commons in some cases, and by building strong links between Wikipedia and existing free online collections hosted by the NLS in others. It was also hoped that the increase in contribution and the organisation of events and workshops will encourage more active contributions to Wikimedia projects across Scotland.
The stated objectives outlined in the job plan issued by the NLS to WMUK, and then to User:ACrockford on taking up the position, included the following:
Public outreach:
- Help the Library develop an outreach policy to coordinate contributions from the wider Scottish community to develop Wikimedia in under-represented areas and minority languages
- To promote digital engagement in areas related to the work of the National Library of Scotland
- Delivery of 3+ public workshops for editors (i.e. edit-a-thons)
Staff workshops:
- To provide training opportunities for staff, volunteers, and researchers associated with the National Library of Scotland
- Delivery of 7+ workshops for National Library of Scotland staff and researchers, or related institutions.
Contributor communities:
- Establish relationships with the Scottish Wikimedia community, editors, and projects with the aim of an increase in the number of contributors in Scotland
- Collaboration with key partners both within and without the GLAM sector
Material for future digitisation:
- The identification of material for future Wikimedia digitisation projects
- To make information or materials held by the institution available via the Wikimedia projects, e.g. releasing text, images, and other multimedia files under a free license where appropriate
Outcomes[edit]
Over the course of the initial 8 months outlined for the residency, the programme has resulted in a number of successful outcomes, particularly in terms of the goals identified for public outreach, contributor communities, and digitisation projects. Since the WiR was installed in July 2013, six training workshops have been run for NLS staff, and a further five edit-a-thons have been organised as part of the programme for members of the public and NLS staff, researchers, and volunteers. The resident and the NLS have also provided substantial support for five more successful edit-a-thons in Edinburgh and Glasgow that were organised by other members of WMUK staff or local Wikimedia volunteers. These events have varied in size from 5 to 20 participants, and have had a significant impact in the development of future events (see influencing factors below).
One of the most successful outcomes of the residency has been the revival and growth of the dormant ScotWiki community; the increase in events and media attention, as well as the consistent presence of a Wikimedian at a variety of GLAM and Open Knowledge events has lead to the resurrection of regular Wikimeets in Scotland. These meetups have gathered between 4 and 10 Wikimedians at intervals of every 2-3 months in venues alternating between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The meetups have also resulted in the creation of a ScotWiki mailing list focused on maintaining and growing the community in Scotland; the mailing list currently has nearly 50 subscribers.
The search for a WiR at the NLS garnered significant media attention, and while this lessened after the residency had launched, there was still an interest in the position for the first months of the programme. In addition, some events - in particular the Anybody But Burns edit-a-thon held in January - revived interest. While media coverage dropped off throughout the residency, interest amongst the wider GLAM/cultural sector in Scotland continued. User:ACrockford spoke at several conferences, workshops, and similar events, and ran a successful webinar discussing the programme and the larger benefits of open access digital content and working with Wikimedia. These events were typically held in collaboration with other organisations resulting in significant contacts with the Special Libraries Association Europe, Edinburgh City Libraries, Grampian Information, JISC Scotland, Cataloguing and Indexing Group Scotland, and the Association of International Librarians and Information Specialists.
Most likely the most influential outcome of the programme is the National Library of Scotland's approval of an open access digital policy that will see the release of all low-quality (i.e. compressed jpg files) digitised content from the public domain and its relevant metadata to a CC-0 license. Without an open access digital content policy, the WiR's ability to release content was extremely limited; while the policy is expected to take at least a year to fully implement, the focus has been on the establishment of an open policy and the creation of a system to ensure the release of material to Wikimedia Commons in the future. The WiR is in the process of setting up a sustainable, easily understood and accessible process of uploading content and metadata so that the NLS can continue in the absence of a Wikimedian in Residence.
Positive influencing factors[edit]
- A supportive community both in library and in larger GLAM community
- The Wikimedia community was surprisingly much more interested and engaged than first suggested, and connections made with some exceptional volunteers
- WiR was fortunate to have an extremely supportive line manager at host organisation, and extensive support from other colleagues and upper management
- Increased attention from WMUK to ScotWiki community (appointment of board trustee based in Scotland, hosting of December 2013 board meeting in Edinburgh, decision to host EduWiki in Edinburgh) was a big help with maintaining a Wiki presence and the overall expansion of the contributing community
- Extensive support was received from WMUK in terms of materials, training, advice and guidance throughout programme
- The relative flexibility of goals and objectives allowed for continual re-evaluation and adaptation to any negative influencing factors (see below), which was essential to determining what would be successful in the longer term scope of the residency
Negative influencing factors[edit]
- Instability in the infrastructure of host organisation occasionally made it difficult to establish contact with the appropriate curator or manager, and posed some problems in terms of hesitancy on the part of NLS staff to engagement with the programme
- A lack of direct and consistent interaction with curators and support staff (i.e. events staff) made organisation of some events slower or more difficult than initially expected
- A heavy existing workload for NLS staff also resulted in hesitance and lower participation on their part
- The lack of existing policies required to facilitate release of digitised material meant for significant delays in this respect
- The unexpectedly high level of interest made it difficult to identify which projects were likely to be successful, and over-loading the schedule meant that some events had to be abandoned during organisation
Analysis[edit]
As much as the outcomes of the residency have been positively influenced by a number of factors, there has also been a process of continual re-evaluation throughout the residency in response to certain negative influencing factors (see above for details). The programme's approach has varied in reaction to these circumstances; in particular, the focus on running editing workshops for NLS staff was shifted to one on outreach and the organisation of public events and events in collaboration with other local GLAM organisations (the Glasgow Women's Library, the Scottish Poetry Library, the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, the British Computer Society Women chapter in Edinburgh, etc). The rationale behind this change in focus stemmed from the recognition of the prohibitive workload already maintained by NLS staff members with the most extensive knowledge of the collection, and their subsequent inability (or lack of inclination) to contribute to Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons on an individual basis. By focusing on outreach events and the building of a stronger ScotWiki community, the goal is now to encourage local organisations, volunteers, and researchers to view the NLS as a supportive organisation, and to likewise foster in staff members the willingness to collaborate and provide support when approached.
The programme demonstrated a number of strengths and weaknesses of note, and identified some key opportunities and threats listed below:
Strengths[edit]
- The residency had a push factor - forced the NLS to evaluate its real open commitment
- Staff at WMUK were available for support
- The programme was backed by a strong 'brand name' - Wikipedia - that garnered interest and support
- The programme adapted to challenges posed by the environment, and continually assessed and re-assessed the success of different approaches in order to focus on those that offered the best possible outcome
- The residency actively ingratiated itself with volunteer-driven projects and other open knowledge communities
Weaknesses[edit]
- Enthusiasm within the organisation was mixed, and enthusiasm within the host organisation didn't always translate into successes
- The project was somewhat isolated, and despite a rigorous introduction and induction process at the outset, it seemed to remain unclear to many staff members what the role is and what it was attempting to achieve
- It was difficult to incorporate Wikimedia events into existing organisational events; partly this related to a difference in schedule and partly to a lack of interaction with curators involved in the more notable events
- Staff were too busy to engage fully or consistently
Opportunities[edit]
- The GLAM sector in Scotland is extremely keen on opportunities offered by GLAM-Wiki collaborations
- The open agenda is important (as elsewhere) and is picking up steam throughout Scotland in the form of successful and growing Open Knowledge groups, Open Data groups, and Open Rights groups
- The newness of the programme allowed for greater flexibility in approach - easier to shape it to something that worked
- In general, cultural institutions use the internet in an increasingly forward-thinking way, and the NLS was specifically focused on making use of its online presence in a way that fostered a more open and accessible image to members of the public
- ‘Outpost’ residency brings up risks, but also opportunities: as there is less experience in hosting a WiR in an 'outpost' community, there is more freedom to react to successes and adapt to failures in order to develop an approach that is tailored to the region - expectations are less well-defined
Threats[edit]
- Restructuring within the organisation - it was difficult to collaborate with people when members of staff are themselves unsure of their job description or lack a clear idea of their expectations in the coming months
- Large, national organisations move at a glacial rate of change, Wikimedians tend to expect faster results than are realistic within the host organisation
- Community: support varies and often is based on context. There is a high possibility for misunderstandings and miscommunications that can lead to a breakdown in community support - if the host organisation is not delivering what the community wants or expects, or if the host organisation acts in a way that is against Wikipedia policies and guidelines
- ‘Outpost’ residency brings with it certain risks: building a strong local community takes a long time, and there may be (or is) a marked difference between heavily urbanised metropolis locations (London) and other regions with a less concentrated population to draw from and less of a local infrastructure/related support
- Unreliability of GLAM Tools and confusion in working with/understanding existing tools (in particular tools for the uploading of content to Commons)
- Relatively small audience that meet the ideal criteria for event participation (wiki editor + interested + can come to the events) compounded by the smaller and more widely dispersed population dynamics in Scotland
Responses and recommendations[edit]
Responses from National Library of Scotland[edit]
- Response from the NLS by Digital Access Manager and residency line manager (Forthcoming)
Recommendations for WMUK[edit]
In terms of an on-going ScotWiki community, I would highly recommend increasing an official presence in Scotland, either through the establishment of more Wikimedians in Residence, or by appointing ambassadors who can continue outreach and act as a point of contact for organisations, groups, or individuals interested in contributing or running events. One of the less tangible but, I feel, most significant outcomes of the residency has been the increased profile of GLAMWiki collaborations and Wikimedia's mission as a whole in Scotland, and I would put this down to a consistent presence and a local contact for interested parties. It would be a shame to lose this momentum once the WiR is no longer in post, and previous experiences with a ScotWiki community suggest that without a larger and more official presence, the initiative struggles.
In terms of the Wikimedian in Residence programme and GLAMWiki collaborations, my recommendations would include:
- Clearer documentation and instructions for the process of releasing content to Commons, ideally drawn from existing residencies and their experiences (i.e. clarification regarding batch upload processes available and their risks & benefits, materials for the creation of templates for uploaded materials, etc)
- That the organising Wikimedia chapter make an effort to visit outpost residencies or ambassadors during their tenure, as well as arranging for visits to headquarters; events like the December WMUK Board meeting and social and individual visits from WMUK staff I think were an excellent way of ensuring that the residency was given greater legitimacy in the eyes of the Wikimedia community, as well as fostering a greater connection between chapter and WiRs and offering a better opportunity for reflection and feedback on the project on both sides
- The establishment of a flexible programme of goals and objectives during the planning stage of any residency, or else a willingness to re-evaluate the expectations of a WiRship (from both the host's perspective and the chapter's) both before and during the term of residence. This flexibility was instrumental in the course of this residency, as it was demonstrated early on that some of the initial aims - particularly the training of staff and staff's eventual involvement - were not feasible projects to focus on. Similarly, the nature of the programme itself necessitates the ability to respond to the situation in which the resident finds themselves, in terms of their host organisation, their own personal experience, the local community and the Wikimedia community.
Recommendations for National Library of Scotland[edit]
In terms of the National Library of Scotland's involvement with GLAMWiki collaborations and an on-going relationship with Wikimedia, it seems to me that the best opportunities for a lasting relationship lie in the release of digital content, the incorporation of that content into Wikipedia as widely as possible, and the continued support of events in collaboration with other organisations, groups, or individuals. At present, the lack of involvement with curatorial staff, education and outreach staff, and events management staff, make sustaining this kind of support in particular difficult.
I would therefore recommend that the Library shift its attention away from training employees on Wikipedia and towards raising awareness of Wikimedia style events, how to organise them, and their benefits and overall impact. I would also recommend that these kinds of events receive support from the outreach and events management staff on the same level as other significant Library-hosted events. I would also recommend that the Library aim to organise and run at least one large-scale Wikimedia event each year, ideally a backstage pass type event to enhance an exhibition, and incorporate the organisation of this event into staff job plans and, where necessary, into the exhibition planning stage.
I also recommend that the Library consider releasing high-resolution as well as low-resolution files as part of its annual review of the new open access policy, once the policy and a method for uploading content and metadata are in place.
Statistics[edit]
Events organised or training run by WiR:
| Event | Date | Location | Attendees | New users | Gender breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Women in Computing | 21 March 2014 | George Square, Edinburgh | 5 | 0 | 80% women |
| Scottish Women in Contemporary Art | 13 March 2014 | DJCAD, Dundee | 7 | 1 | 100% women |
| Anybody but Burns | 25 January 2014 | NLS, Edinburgh | 13 | 4 | approx. 60% women |
| RSE/MRC Women in Science Edit-a-thon | 3 December 2013 | Royal Society of Edinburgh | 21 | 20 | approx, 95% women |
| Cambridge AWiSE Women in Science edit-a-thon | 21 November 2013 | MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge | 15 | 15 | 100% women |
| NLS Forgotten Faces Absent Places Staff Edit-a-thon | 5 November 2013 | NLS Lawnmarket, Edinburgh | 5 | 4 | 90% women |
| NLS staff training workshop | 24 October 2013 | NLS Lawnmarket, Edinburgh | 7 | 7 | approx. 75% women |
| Ada Lovelace Festival of Wikipedia workshop Edinburgh | 3 October 2013 | IBM Headquarters, Edinburgh | 4 | 2 | 75% women |
| NLS staff training workshop | 12 September 2013 | Scottish Screen Archives, Glasgow | 2 | 1 | 50% women |
| NLS staff training workshop | 19&20 August 2013 | NLS Causewayside, Edinburgh | 5 | 3 | 80% women |
Events organised by others with WiR support:
| Event | Date | Location | Organised by | Attendees | New users | Gender breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaPRA Wikipedia Workshop | 20 March 2014 | University of Glasgow | User:ToniSant | 7 | 6 | 85% women |
| Glasgow School of Art training | 2 December 2013 | Glasgow School of Art Library | User:Graeme Arnott | 5 | 4 | 50% women |
| Scottish Women on Wikipedia | 16 November 2013 | Bridgeton Library, Glasgow | User:Graeme Arnott | 8 | 8 | 100% women |
Talks and other events
| Event | Date | Location | Organised by | Talk title | Recording/slides available? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What I Know Is Symposium | 19 March 2014 | Stirling | Greg Singh | "Wikimedia, GLAM, and Open Access" | Recordings forthcoming |
| Special Library Association Europe talk | 4 March 2014 | Edinburgh | SLA Europe | "Do you have the facts about Wikipedia?" | Slides, podcast interview forthcoming |
| The EDGE Conference 2014 | 27-28 February 2014 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh City Libraries | "Imagining a World: Wikimedia and open access innovations at the National Library of Scotland" | Slides forthcoming |
| Grampian Information Annual Conference | 7 November 2013 | Aberdeen | Grampian Information | "A Wikimedian in Residence at the National Library of Scotland: Wikimedia, libraries, and open-access knowledge building" | Slides forthcoming |
| JISC Scotland webinar | 9 October 2013 | Online | JISC RSC Scotland | "What is a wikimedian? Tales from the NLS Wikimedian in Residence" | Yes (Blackboard Collaborate required) |
| Wiki & Biccy session | 4 October 2013 | Edinburgh | User:ACrockford | No talk | N/A |
Collaborative organisations:
Some contact details have not been listed for privacy reasons; all contact details have been forwarded to WMUK for any future collaborations.
| Organisation | Contact name | Contact title | Contact e-mail |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Computer Society Women, Scotland | Sharon Moore | Organiser | sharon.moore@bcs.org |
| Special Libraries Association, Europe | John Coll | SLA Europe Board Member, Head of Access and Enquiries at the National Library of Scotland | -- |
| Glasgow Women's Library | Laura Dolan | Lifelong Learning Assistant | laura.dolan@womenslibrary.org.uk |
| Glasgow School of Art Library | Delphine Dallison | SCONUL Graduate Trainee Librarian | -- |
| Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee | Sarah Cook | Reader / Dundee Fellow | -- |
| Open Knowledge Foundation Scotland | Ewan Klein | Scotland Ambassador | ewan [at] raw-text.io |
| National Records of Scotland | Anne Slater | Head of Public Services | -- |
| Museums Galleries Scotland | Lori Anderson | Relationships and Partnerships Manager | -- |
| Scottish Poetry Library | Julie Johnstone | Librarian | julie.johnstone@scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk |
| Edinburgh City Libraries | Gráinne Crawford | Income Solution Manager, Library & Information Services | -- |
| Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute, Glasgow | Laura Molloy | HATII Curation and Preservation Officer | Laura.Molloy@glasgow.ac.uk |
| JISC RSC Scotland | Penny Robertson | Advisor: Learning Resources | -- |
| Centre for Education, Technology and Interoperability Standards (Cetis) | Lorna Campbell | Assistant Director | lorna.m.campbell [at] icloud.com |
| Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) | Alison Leslie | Events Manager for CILIPS East Branch | -- |
| Cataloguing and Indexing Groups, Scotland (CIGS) - CILIPS | Paul Cunnea | Secretary (joint), Digital Assets Manager at the National Library of Scotland | p.cunnea@nls.uk |
| Multimedia Information and Technology Group (MmITS)- CILIP | Louise Morrison | Member | -- |
| Grampian Information | Amelia Davies | Executive Support Officer | -- |
| Communications, Media and Culture, University of Stirling | Greg Singh | Lecturer in Media and Communications | -- |
| Edina | Nicola Osborne | Social Media Officer | nicola.osborne@ed.ac.uk |
| Digital HSS, University of Edinburgh | Sian Bayne | Associate Dean (digital scholarship) | sian.bayne@ed.ac.uk |
| Open Rights Group Edinburgh | Jim Killock | Executive Director | scotland@openrightsgroup.org |
| Glasgow Museums (Glasgow Life) | John Ferry | Digital & New Media Manager | johnferry01@gmail.com |
Presentation slides
- Some presentations have not been included due to similarity in the content.
-
Slides from presentation at EDGE Conference in Edinburgh, 28 February 2014 -
Slides from the Women in Science edit-a-thon held at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge -
Slides for the annual Library Science talks held at the CERN Library and Swiss National Library on 23 and 24th June 2014. -
Slides from the Working with Wikimedia workshop, 06 June 2014 at the University of Edinburgh.
Going forward[edit]
As the residency has been extended to July 2014, many of the projects and initiatives currently in development can remain within the scope of the residency until that time. However, as the residency wraps up, the following should be continued by volunteers or WMUK:
- Support for the uploading and organisation of digital content and metadata from the Library where necessary
- Continuation of regular ScotWiki meetups in Edinburgh and Glasgow with the option to expand elsewhere
- Connections with GLAM organisations outside of the NLS who have expressed an interest in collaborating or who have previously collaborated with Wikimedia UK/ScotWiki volunteers (see contacts)
- Push for contact with organisations and institutions in the Highlands and Islands
- Continued contact with the Scottish government and organisations like JISC Scotland and the University of the Highlands and Islands would be ideal to pursue this expansion, due to their existing connections both physical and technological
- Maintaining connections with the open knowledge/open data community in Scotland
Forward outlook plan April - July 2014[edit]
The following initiatives and events have been identified as a central focus for the residency's extension to July 2014:
| Known or Prospective Dates | Event Name or Project Description | Host or Partner Organisation | Scope of initiative or event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 6 2014 | Working with Wikimedia workshop | n/a | The event aims to make connections with staff members from organisations interested in working with Wikimedia but who do not currently have an ambassador, Wikimedian in Residence, or committed volunteer from the Wikimedia community to help them put together or support events like those organised at the National Library of Scotland. This is intended to be part of a new focus on establishing a sustainable relationship between the NLS and other GLAM organisations and Wikimedia UK/volunteers to ensure that the current momentum continues | |
| April - July 2014 | Trial release of digital content | NLS | As the NLS implements its new open access digital content policy, the WiR will be working to develop a process for batch uploads to Commons that will ensure quick and efficient uploads once the residency is complete; templates to organise the accompanying metadata will also be developed, and ideally documentation regarding the process will result from the experience | |
| 12-14 June 2014 | Datafest Scotland 2014 | Alwyn Williams Building (School of Computing Science) and Boyd Orr Building, University of Glasgow, Scotland | WiR will organise a tutorial on editing Wikipedia on 13 June with possible support from ScotWiki volunteers | |
| 18 June 2014 | Wikimedia Information Session | Grampian Information, Aberdeen | A follow on from the Grampian Information Annual Conference in December, I have been asked to present a similar talk as part of the Grampian Information AGM in June. Details to follow. | |
| June 23-24 2014 | Library Science Talks 2014: Wikimedians in the Library | CERN Library, Swiss National Library | Swiss National Library in Bern, the CERN Scientific Information Service in Geneva and the Association of International Librarians and Information Specialists organise an annual series of 'Library Science Talks'. Talk would bring together international and Swiss Wikimedians as well as Librarians to discuss the Wikimedian in Residence programme: possibilities, benefits, difficulties, experiences. | |
| Summer 2014? | Jisc Rsc Scotland editathon | New Jisc Rsc Scotland Offices | Jisc Scotland are anticipating a move of house in the near future (date TBC), and have offered up their new offices as a venue for an editathon once they have settled. Topic yet to be determined. | |
| Summer/Autumn 2014 | Wikipedia Training Capture session (by User:ACrockford) | Jisc Scotland, CILIPS MmIT?; Scottish government? | Following from the Jisc 'Tales of a Wikimedian in Residence' webinar, Adobe capture would be used to provide a simple but thorough introduction to contributing to Wikipedia for Librarians and FE/HE educators. This would be released under CC-BY-SA license and uploaded to Commons, and also made available by Jisc as a wider learning resource for educators. | |
| End Sept 2014 | Wikimedia Takes Edinburgh pt 2 | NLS, Edinburgh City Libraries, National Records of Scotland? | An event has been proposed that would enhance the release of the Library's digitised early photographs of Edinburgh; the Edinburgh City Libraries have been approached about a possible involvement, as has the National Records of Scotland. Current plans would see the targeting of specific points across the city corresponding to released images, allowing for a 'now and then' array. Targets would likely be identified based in part on their notability. | |
| Sept/Oct 2014 | Wikimedia & Libraries Information session | CILIPS MmIT | General introduction to Wikimedia, background to GLAM:Wiki collaborations, details about NLS WiR programme, ScotWiki network of volunteers, aims and goals, specific examples of successful projects, etc. | |
| 31 October 2014 | EduWiki Conference 2014 - Edinburgh | Wikimedia UK | It has been confirmed that the EduWiki conference will be held in Edinburgh this year, as a one-day rather than the usual two-day event; planning is under way although at a very preliminary state. |