AvoinGLAM/GLAM-Wiki activity plan for 2021

1. Program Objectives

1.1 Scope of the GLAM-Wiki work

The scope of the GLAM-Wiki work is to promote open access to cultural heritage through galleries, libraries, archives and museums, according to WMFI action plan 2021:

Our goal is to work with GLAM organisations to create mutually beneficial relationships in which Wikipedia receives high-quality input from experts. Experts from these organizations are familiar with the Wikimedia movement and the tools we provide, and are motivated to use them in the future. The broader goal of this program is to provide accessible high-quality information and tools to the general public by working in particular with public institutions such as museums and libraries. We are also developing ways to get crowdsourced and enriched content delivered back to memory organizations.

In 2021, the GLAM-Wiki activity will also include work to promote minority languages in Finland.

1.2 AvoinGLAM Charter

Objectives of AvoinGLAM work as outlined in the mission statement of the AvoinGLAM Charter:

1. Enabling Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums in their digital transformation, by training and strengthening their capacity for Open Access to cultural heritage.
2. Advocacy and public policy for Open Access to cultural heritage and emerging topics affecting open cultural heritage.
3. Creating projects, campaigns, and events to promote the release, discovery, reuse and enriching of open cultural materials.
4. Advancing open and equitable participation in public discourse and in creating the cultural reminiscence online.
5. Supporting cultural and linguistic diversity including revitalisation efforts of underresourced languages, promoting practices of sharing Traditional Knowledge responsibly online, and collaborating with minority language communities in facilitating the production of multilingual online materials.

1.3 Language focus

We focus on languages relevant to Finland, be they our national languages (Finnish, Swedish), indigenous languages (Northern Saami, Inari Saami, Skolt Saami), neighbouring languages (Estonian, Russian, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk), nearby minority languages (Karelian, South Estonian), immigrant languages (Arabic, Somali, Pashto, Chinese), or world languages used by frequent visitors (eg. German, French, English, Japanese).

In addition, we develop practices for working with especially under-resourced languages in the Wikimedia context and may engage in deploying them in any context.

1.4 Strategic alignment of Wikimedia Finland's GLAM-Wiki work with the Wikimedia Foundation’s GLAM-Wiki team’s work

The GLAM-Wiki team’s work will align with the scope of the GLAM Team at Wikimedia Foundation. The WMFI GLAM-Wiki team works as part of the Avoin GLAM steering group and can work beyond the limits of that scope by expressing the specific objectives and seeking acceptance for them from the Wikimedia Foundation if the activity plans to use resources from the WMFI SAPG Grant.

As described by the Wikimedia Foundation’s GLAM-Wiki team

1. Movement organizers and volunteers understand GLAM motivations and are confident to approach suitable content partners for their projects.
2. GLAMs adopt open access policies and advocate for free knowledge.
3. GLAMs contribute large volumes of high-impact images to Wikimedia projects using accessible tools that are well documented and supported.
4. Content contributed by GLAMs is discoverable and used by communities to address gaps in knowledge and representation.
5. Resources and workflows are emerging for the integration of intangible heritage and oral knowledge in Wikimedia projects.
6. There is a robust exchange of knowledge and shared standards between the movement and GLAM professionals, leading to linked open data for cultural heritage.

2. GLAM-Wiki team at Wikimedia Finland

According to the Annual Plan of Wikimedia Finland:

The activities are carried out by a core group consisting of the GLAM Coordinator (Susanna Ånäs) and board members in charge of different sectors (GLAM, Languages), who implement the GLAM-Wiki program independently and report to WMFI. The team works closely with AvoinGLAM, Open Knowledge Finland, Creative Commons Finland, the international Creative Commons platforms and Finnish GLAM organizations to promote open access to cultural heritage and the use of Wikimedia platforms to achieve it.

By Wikimedia platforms we mean Wikimedia projects and practices, including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia projects, and also for example GLAM-Wiki practices of collaboration with institutional partners or international programs carried out in the Wikimedia movement.

The GLAM-Wiki team at Wikimedia Finland in 2021 consists of Tove Ørsted, Kimberli Mäkäräinen, Kaj Arnö, and Susanna Ånäs.

3. Funding in 2021

Funding from Wikimedia Finland's annual plan grant

• GLAM coordinator's 0.6 FTE salary equalling 24 h / week
• Additional 2 000 € for small project costs or self-funding for a collaboration project.

4. Governance

The governance structures are recorded in the Avoin GLAM Charter, which is revised annually in the beginning of a new term.

The collaboration is organized under the title AvoinGLAM (a direct translation of OpenGLAM into Finnish). AvoinGLAM has been a working group within Open Knowledge Finland since 2012.

From 2021, the name AvoinGLAM will be used to cover the collaboration between Wikimedia Finland (WMFI), Open Knowledge Finland (OKFI) and Creative Commons Finland (CCFI). OKFI has registered AvoinGLAM as an auxiliary organization name.

The AvoinGLAM group is managed by a steering group consisting of an equal number of members from each participating organisation (legal entity). Each steering group member can only represent one organization.

The steering group plans the activities and records the ones that will be carried out with Wikimedia Finland’s funding in this document. The board of Wikimedia Finland approves the plan, and those activities are reported to Wikimedia Finland.

Organizations clearly indicate the resources that they contribute, and which they require to be reported back to the organizations.

Membership: Participating in the workings of AvoinGLAM is free for anyone and does not require formal membership. All meetings are open for anyone to participate.

5. Fields of activity

Projects that relate to each field of activity are listed under each item. The selection will be further elaborated, realized, and reported over the course of the year. Some will require additional funding and working time is dedicated to seeking that funding. Primary contacts in the sections below are for people from the GLAM-Wiki team, and additional key contacts are marked in parentheses.

The following areas of interest have been approved by the WMFI board and recorded in the minutes of the WMFI Board meeting 4.1.2021 and 01.02.2021. The additions were approved in a board meeting on 7.4.2021. The document structure has been revised on 19.4.2021.

5.1 Capacity building for Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums

During 2021 we will make available resources and training for GLAMs to adopt Wikimedia projects in their online practices. Online discussions will become part of the upcoming webinar series at OKFI. Further activities are discussed and prioritized in the online discussions engaging the GLAMs themselves. We also wish to align with some projects in the international Wikimedia community.

5.1.1 GLAM discussions

Projects in process

• AvoinGLAM discussions. Partner webinars and guest appearances can be associated with the discussion series. The discussions can also be included in the planned OKFI Webinar series.

5.1.2 GLAM Case studies

• Aleksanteri Ahola-Valon wikimuseo
• Structured data for GLAM-Wiki/Roundtripping Collaborative enquiry into case studies and challenges based on the results of Wikimedia Commons Data Roundtripping. (collaboration with Wiki Movimiento Brasil).
• Digital guide: working with open licences. This project is a proposal for a collaborative effort to create a generic guide for publishing as Open Access, based on the The National Lottery Heritage Fund's publication by Dr Andrea Wallace and Dr Mathilde Pavis at the University of Exeter.

5.1.3 GLAM Resources

The goal is to explore workflows and create pilot activities on collaboration with partners, and record these as reusable resources.

Projects in process

• Developing the working model of GLAM case studies + webinars + online documentation.
• Communicating Open GLAM in Finland and internationally.

Projects to develop

• From digitization to Open Access for small collections (Based on the Ahola-Valo discussion)
• GLAM dashboard to follow the adoption of Open Access practices and Wikimedia platforms of all Finnish memory institutions.
• Collaborate with Finnish and international initiatives in collecting and publishing resources, for example HELDIG video clips, OpenGLAM Glossary, Guide for Open Access to cultural heritage.
• Coordinate responses from Finland to the Open GLAM Declaration. Facilitate, if reasonable, the response of Saami organizations on Saami cultural heritage.

Contact

• Tove Ørsted (Julia Brungs)

5.2. Advocacy and public policy on Open Access to cultural heritage

Projects in process

• Advocacy around copyright and the ethics of sharing: KAM-juridiikkaryhmä
• Participating in networks and consortia of the Finnish GLAMs: Finna (Susanna), Finto (Kimmo), Round Table (Susanna), Time Machine (Susanna / OKFI)
• Participating in advocacy networks: Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU (Susanna, Tarmo), Creative Commons Advocacy Platform / Working group on the Ethics of Sharing (Susanna / CC, Julia)
• Advocacy around the DSM transposition in Finland (Susanna, Tarmo)

Projects to develop

• Strategic planning with partners that can engage further GLAMs: Finna, Digime, TimeMachine, Museoliitto, MAL, ICOM Finland, Museovirasto etc.
• Statements and comments in upcoming public hearings.

Contact

• Susanna Ånäs

5.3 Projects, campaigns, and events in OpenGLAM

5.3.1 GLAM pilot imports

Projects in process

• BiographySampo to Wikidata

Projects to develop

• Pilot import of old maps in the GLAM pilot imports and case studies series. Possible partners include the City of Helsinki, the National Archives, and the National Library.

Contact

Susanna Ånäs

5.3.2 Geographic information

Working with the definitions of historical places has been a long-term goal. We will join forces with Projekt Fredrika in making pilot Wikidata imports bringing together sources from several Finnish authorities. The results can be immediately visualised with Wikidocumentaries, and Projekt Fredrika will additionally create articles in Swedish, Finnish and other Wikipedias.

Projects in process

• Saami place names to Wikidata as lexicographical data

Projects to develop

• Swedish-speaking archipelago. Geographic pilot import of places (and place names) in the archipelago to Wikidata as part of the GLAM pilot imports and case studies. Study and document also matching geographic data with OSM.
• Public art in Helsinki

Contact

• Kaj Arnö, Susanna Ånäs (Robert Silén)

5.3.3 Creative reuse

An objective of the AvoinGLAM group is to forward all activities promoting creative reuse of open cultural heritage. We aim to run or participate in running the 2021 Hack4OpenGLAM that we initiated in 2020. The AvoinGLAM group will seek additional funding for this work.

Projects in process

• Hack4OpenGLAM. The project will be realized by Creative Commons Finland / OKFI in the context of AvoinGLAM.

Projects to develop

• GLAM case studies that focus on creative reuse.

Contact

• Tove Ørsted

5.4 Open and equitable online participation

This topic has been added to encourage initiatives that focus on democracy. On one hand they may relate to politics, but on the other hand any activities that advance open and equitable online participation. In 2021 Finland hosts municipal elections. We will investigate how the open cultural heritage approach can contribute to increasing democracy.

Projects to develop

• Imports of politicians in Finnish history into Wikidata together with historians.
• Discussion topics in the AvoinGLAM discussion series.

Contact

• Susanna Ånäs

5.5 Cultural and linguistic diversity

5.5.1 Language revitalization

This programmatic part is especially related to language technology and the Saami languages. We hope to facilitate the efforts of the Saami communities in language revitalization through Wikimedia projects.

An emerging approach from discussions in 2021 is to join forces with Wikimedia Norway on everything related to Saami languages and culture on a strategic level.

Projects in process

• Saami place names to Wikidata as lexicographical data in collaboration with Wikimedia Norway project Samiske Stedsnavn, see also 5.3.1 Geographic information.

Projects to develop

• Support for the Saami languages / National Library
• Strengthened collaboration with Wikimedia Norway on issues regarding Saami languages and culture.
• Bot articles in Inari Saami Wikipedia / UiT Tromsø
• Skills and resources for small language Wikipedias / Inari Saami Wikipedia
  • Guidelines for participation
  • Infrastructure, such as templates / WMNO?
  • Use of data stored in Wikidata

Contact

• Kimberli Mäkäräinen (Jon Harald Søby)

5.5.2 The Ethics of Sharing

We are committed to studying ways in which sensitive cultural heritage can be shared online – and where to draw the line. How can indigenous communities proceed with their digitization efforts and make use of online platforms without compromising their digital sovereignty? What tools are there in place in legislation for protecting Traditional Knowledge? How can online platforms (in our case Finna, the national aggregator, and Wikimedia Commons) take into account the non-copyright restrictions. What other types on sensitive information should be protected with non-copyright restrictions (personality rights, location data etc.)

Projects in process

• State of Public Domain and the Ethics of Sharing in Finnish GLAMs. Two-part project proposal for an investigation into the practices of non-copyright restrictions in GLAMs and the practices of safeguarding the Public Domain in Finnish GLAMs. (AvoinGLAM / Creative Commons Finland)

Projects to develop

• AvoinGLAM discussions / Knowledge Equity: Topics on Traditional Knowledge
• Depictathon (TBD) / Sámi Archives, Inari Saami Wikipedia, as part of GLAM pilot imports

Contact

• Susanna Ånäs, Kimberli Mäkäräinen (Julia Brungs, Sanna Marttila)

5.5.3 Cultural restitution

Heikki Kastemaa has worked with Wikimédiens du Benin over a few years. In 2021 he will spend three months in Benin. We will study the conflict between Traditional Knowledge and public domain and what role the conflict plays in cultural restitution (see Wallace, Pavis: Response to the 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report). The topic will be studied in the webinar programme alongside traditional knowledge issues, and practical projects will emerge over a course of time. Cultural and linguistic diversity.

Projects in process

• 4 February Cultural restitution in Benin with Andrea Wallace, Mahuton Possoupe, Fawaz Taïrou, Heikki Kastemaa, and Brigitte Vézina
  • AvoinGLAM discussions / Knowledge Equity
  • Produces documentation and can act as a basis for spinoff projects

Contact

• Susanna Ånäs (Heikki Kastemaa)

5.5.4 Linguistic diversity in Finland

The overall objective is to enhance the representation of topics about Finland in several languages. In 2020 we met with the Prime Minister’s Office’s translation office to promote the opportunities of Wikidata for recording terminology in all major minority languages in Finland for emergency purposes. That is but an example of what Wikidata can enable, and we shall elaborate on that together. As a result, the office had started a practice of releasing vocabularies with CC0 licensing and in a machine readable format. Further collaboration with THL or Yle should also be pursued. In 2021 we collaborate with Projekt Fredrika, whose mission is aligned with Wikimedia Finland’s language objectives.

Following a pilot made in 2020 with immigrant youth and the Finnish Red Cross, we wish to continue collaboration.

In cooperation with Projekt Fredrika, we strive to update the Wikidata labels and descriptions of key Q-codes (Wikidata objectives) in our focus languages (see section 1.3).

Projects to develop

• Edit events / other collaboration with the Finnish Red Cross
• Collaboration with Projekt Fredrika: Improving quality of labels and descriptions of key Q codes in Wikidata
• Promoting the use of Wikidata and Wikimedia projects to governmental authorities for advancing multilinguality.

Contact

• Kaj Arnö, Kimberli Mäkäräinen

5.6 Communication, communities

5.6.1 Communications

Projects in process

• Website
• Social media

Projects to develop

• Thematic groups. Specific thematic groups can be formed in the broader context and with partners. For example Saami, geo, advocacy etc. It is possible to pick up a date in the Thursday meetings and gather a thematic session. A theme can alternatively be presented in the upcoming webinar in OKFI or discussed in smaller circles informally.

Contact

• Susanna Ånäs

6. Work packages and resources

We aim to create a continuous flow of different working methods that feed and complement each other: Introducing topics and projects → bringing like-minded actors together across borders → igniting discussion → influencing public policy → planning and completing projects together → documenting and communicating → inspiring new ideas and creators.

Below only the monetary resources used for these activities are listed. Volunteer work (pro bono) or in-kind resources are not listed.

6.1 Online discussions

Meetings of the broader Avoin GLAM group are arranged ideally bi-weekly on Thursdays, starting 7 January. Some of the meetings can be part of a webinar series that OKFI plans for 2021.

• 10 AvoinGLAM discussions. Also events arranged by other parties that are brought to this series. In the autumn 2021, the discussions will become part of the Open Knowledge Finland monthly event series.
• 20 AvoinGLAM coffee & cookies meetups

Activities log

• AvoinGLAM discussions

Resources

• GLAM coordinator work allocation: ~ 42 working days

6.2 Projects, campaigns, and events

• GLAM pilot imports and case studies are created in collaboration with partnering institutions. Our aim is to enable the organizational partners to continue the activities themselves or assisted by us after the pilots. Therefore we focus on examples, training and dissemination over high volume imports made by us.
• Edit events with communities and the public is an important objective. We will find synergies with events the partnering institutions are creating for themselves, and the core events that are created by Wikimedia Finland.

Activities log

• Pilot import of BiographySampo

Resources

• Coordinator work allocation:  ~ 42 working days for case studies / pilot imports

6.3 Saami place names import project

Saami place names import from the National Land Survey Place Names Register in collaboration with Wikimedia Norway project Samiske Stedsnavn and Finnish GLAM partners.

Activities log

• Saami place names with WMNO

Resources

• Coordinator work allocation: ~20 working days

6.4 Online resources

We will develop avoinglam.fi (currently avoinglam.okf.fi) and Wikipedia:GLAM in the Finnish Wikipedia for publishing case studies and best practices. We are alternatively considering an international, translatable resource on Meta. We will publicize our efforts through This Month in GLAM and Open GLAM Medium publication internationally. The AvoinGLAM Facebook group and Twitter accounts, as well as Wikimedia Finland’s channels will support this.

Activities log

• Setting up and maintaining the AvoinGLAM blog
• Publishing articles in This Month in GLAM
• Posts in OpenGLAM Medium
• AvoinGLAM Facebook posts

Resources

• Coordinator work allocation: ~ 12 working days

6.5 Advocacy and public policy

• In 2021 Wikimedia Finland will be participating in the work coordinated by the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU together with Open Knowledge Finland.
• The key focus in 2021 is to educate the memory institutions about the upcoming changes in the copyright legislation, which affects how they can share and license images online.

Activities log

Resources

• Coordinator work allocation: ~ 8 working days

6.6 Project planning and fundraising

• Hack4OpenGLAM is an important new feature in our work. We wish to allocate basic resources to seeking funding for it in 2021. The event itself will be arranged by AvoinGLAM / Creative Commons Finland, not funded through Wikimedia Finland.
• Collaboration with the National Library on supporting Saami languages.
• Emerging new projects in our core areas in Finland and internationally.

Activities log

Resources

• Coordinator work allocation:  ~ 12 working days for fundraising.

Year plan

This is a rough plan, where schedule changes are possible. August–September is dedicated to Hack4OpenGLAM, which is outside this budget.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Discussions	5	8	8	8	8	5							42	workdays
GLAM case studies		3	3	4	5	6				7	9	5	42	workdays
Saami place names			1	4	2	2				2	5	4	20	workdays
GLAM online resources	6	1	1		1					2	1		12	workdays
Advocacy & representation		1	1	1	1	1				1	1	1	8	workdays
Fundraising		3	2	1	3					1	2		12	workdays
Holiday 2,5 days/m - some Sats						5	10					5	20	workdays
TOTAL	11	16	16	18	20	19	10	0	0	13	18	15	156	workdays
FTE	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.6	0.8	0.7	0.6	FTE

Open planning for the activities in 2021

See the collaboratively edited document WMFI GLAM-Wiki Activity plan for 2021.