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GLAM User Group

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The GLAM User Group is a community group made up of contributors and affiliate staff, who together facilitate, coordinate, and support the GLAM Community globally. The activities listed below and on GLAM pages are only some of the many activities that members are involved in.

Monthly Activities

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  • Global GLAM Call: The Global GLAM Call takes place the first Tuesday of a given month, at either 8:00 or 13:00 UTC. More information is on the main page.
  • This Month in GLAM: The monthly newsletter is published on (or around) the 8th of a given month. To complement the monthly community newsletter, a quarterly summary may be published on Diff to raise awareness for GLAM activities. More information is on the newsletter main page.

Regular Activities

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Support Conference GLAM Thematic Tracks

Coordinate and/or Support GLAM Thematic Conferences

Community Channels

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Information on Community channels can be found on the GLAM main page.

Steering Committee

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User Group Members

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Until the user group is formally recognized by AffCom the space below is for any Wikimedia user to express their interest in becoming a member. Please add your username to the members page.

FAQ

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Can anyone be a member of the User Group?
Yes, the User Group activities are open to anyone with an interest. Contributors and Affiliate and Wikimedia Foundation staff can participate, contribute, and support.

What about conflict of interest?
The User Group will follow conflict of interest best-practices within the Wikimedia Movement.

Where did this User Group come from? Earlier in 2025 the GLOSS Working Group developed plans to explore what leadership structure should be pursued for the GLAM Wiki community.

What happened to the other results of the Needs Assessment Survey this year?
The information from the survey will be used to develop strategies for the future including how to engage all stakeholders, improve technical tools and infrastructure, secure resources, and develop community capacity.

What are the priorities of the User Group?
The User Group will focus on maintaining the current community activities. The Needs Assessment, as well as subsequent conversations, highlighted numerous challenges that the community still faces and needs to develop solutions for! At GLAM Wiki 2025 there is a dedicated day for a Global GLAM Strategy Workshop where these priorities will be discussed and elaborated on.

How will the User Group make decisions?
The Steering Committee will propose the frames and terms of the user group leadership, and set up a process to formally nominate and elect a leadership, following the approval of the User Group; to include duration, term limitations, and responsibilities. Whenever possible the User Group will make decisions democratically, transparently, and openly, with community involvement and collaboration.

How does this User Group compare to others in the sector?
While there are many user groups in the Wikimedia movement working in the culture and heritage sector, this user groups’ focus is on the overlapping and global community collaboration between the various GLAM stakeholders and activities. We see these affiliates and other initiatives as allies and partners with a shared mission.

What happens while the Affiliations Committee isn’t reviewing proposals?
In August 2025 the Affiliations Committee and Wikimedia Foundation announced a pause in reviewing the submissions for affiliate recognition until March 2026. The GLAM User Group Steering Committee will submit the proposal during the pause and meet with the Affiliations Committee and Wikimedia Foundation at a later date in case of additional requirements.

GLAM Strategic Pillars

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Language Minorities

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Objective: Bridge the language and accessibility gap to enable greater participation from underrepresented linguistic communities

Key Results:

  • Establish technology infrastructure that supports minority language contributions
  • Increase active contributors from minority language communities through targeted technical skills development
  • Create a common language framework for cross-community collaboration

Metrics:

  • Number of minority language contributors trained in relevant technical skills
  • Volume of materials available in each target minority language (baseline vs. end of period)
  • Number of minority language communities actively supported through the program
  • Measurable increase in capacity (assessed through surveys, contribution volume, or skills assessments)

Ownership: Two-person knowledge exchange team (TBD)

Recognition

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Objective: Map and engage GLAM-Wiki community stakeholders to establish shared strategic priorities and increase visibility

Key Results:

  • Documented stakeholder priorities and strategic alignment
  • Shared definition and understanding of GLAM-Wiki across communities
  • Clear pathways for participation that increase reciprocity between institutions and contributors
  • Established structures and resources that facilitate collaboration

Metrics:

  • Publicly accessible contact information and engagement pathways (Meta page completion)
  • Response rate to stakeholder mapping survey/outreach
  • Number of active participants in community consultations
  • Documentation of GLAM institutions impacted or transformed (case studies, testimonials)
  • Publication of global GLAM metrics dashboard with regular updates
  • Engagement metrics on communication materials (views, shares, responses)

Ownership: GLAM Coordinators (TBD)

Community (Mental) Health as a Priority

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Objective: Build sustainable community care practices that reduce burnout and foster long-term engagement

Key Results:

  • Measurable reduction in burnout indicators across the community
  • Established mentorship program with trained mentors
  • Safe, inclusive spaces at all events and meetings
  • Functional mutual support network among community members

Metrics:

  • Pre/post surveys measuring burnout levels, satisfaction, and sense of belonging
  • Staff tenure duration and editor longevity rates (year-over-year comparison)
  • Universal Code of Conduct adoption at 100% of events and meetings
  • Number of trained mentors and mentorship matches completed
  • Harassment incident reports (reduction target)
  • Community health survey scores (friendship, support, inclusivity indicators)
  • Participation rates in non-violent communication training
  • Number of facilitated spaces/events held
  • Self-reported "fun" or satisfaction ratings at events

Ownership:

  • Wikimedia Czech Republic (WMCZ)
  • Wikimedia Mexico (WMMX)
  • Wikimedia Sweden (WMSE)
  • GLAM Community stakeholders


More Robust Technical Infrastructure

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Objective: Develop and implement a comprehensive GLAM-Wiki technical roadmap for 2025 that addresses critical infrastructure needs

Key Results:

  • Established technical working group with clear mandate
  • Comprehensive mapping of technical needs across GLAM-Wiki communities
  • Published roadmap with prioritized initiatives and secured funding
  • Critical tool repairs and improvements completed (e.g., Pattypan)
  • Sustainable maintenance culture established

Metrics:

  • Working group formation date and meeting frequency
  • Number of technical needs documented and categorized
  • Percentage of roadmap initiatives with secured funding
  • Number of critical tools repaired or improved (Pattypan repair completion)
  • Number of developers actively supported (grants, recognition, resources)
  • Maintenance culture indicators (documentation, succession planning, bus factor reduction)
  • User satisfaction with key technical tools (before/after surveys)

Ownership: GLAM-Wiki Technical Working Group (TBD)

Small GLAMs

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Objective: Lower barriers to entry and widen participation by making GLAM-Wiki accessible to small institutions and community groups

Key Results:

  • Expanded scope of GLAM definition to include diverse institution types and sizes
  • Increased contributions from small and non-traditional GLAM partners
  • User-friendly toolkit and resources for new participants
  • Curated project opportunities matched to different group capacities

Metrics:

  • Number of "starter toolkit" downloads or accesses
  • Number of small GLAMs newly engaged (by institution size/type)
  • Number of projects activated by small or new GLAM partners
  • Completion rate of "easy start" projects
  • Diversity of institution types participating (archives, community museums, local historical societies, etc.)
  • User feedback on toolkit accessibility and usefulness
  • Retention rate of small GLAMs after first project

Ownership: Culex

GLOSS Working Group Activity

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GLAM affiliate initiative

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In March 2025, the informal working group met for the first time to discuss a way forward for a GLAM Leadership & Organizational Structure Solution (GLOSS). In short, how might we form an organizational structure within the Wikimedia movement, such as an affiliate?

Why is a formal structure for the GLAM, Culture and Heritage Sector needed in the Wikimedia community?

  • Advocacy & Representation – A centralized body would advocate for GLAM interests within the Wikimedia Movement, ensuring that cultural heritage is recognized and prioritized. Currently, GLAM is often sidelined in discussions about Wikimedia’s future direction.
  • Visibility & Support – GLAM has been a marginalized topic, and a formal structure would provide greater visibility, fostering recognition and support from the broader Wikimedia community.
  • Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing – A structured entity would enable better coordination, documentation of best practices, and knowledge exchange among GLAM contributors worldwide.
  • Metrics & Impact Measurement – A unified GLAM structure would develop tools to better measure and showcase the impact of GLAM initiatives, strengthening accountability and advocacy.
  • Diversity & Inclusion – GLAM activities involve diverse participants, institutions, and projects. A formal structure would ensure that smaller groups, underrepresented regions, and local heritage initiatives receive support and resources.
  • Sustainability & Institutional Memory – A coordinated GLAM-Wiki body would help sustain projects long-term, prevent duplication of efforts, and provide continuity despite volunteer turnover.
  • Bridging Governance & Content Creation – There is a growing tension between governance structures and content contributors in the Wikimedia Movement. A dedicated GLAM entity would help bridge this divide, ensuring that cultural heritage work is supported and valued.
  • External Partnerships & Open Access – A formal structure would strengthen collaborations with cultural institutions, making it easier to advocate for Open Access and facilitate partnerships on a larger scale.

Role of the Working Group

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  • Support in bringing together contributors to create a unified voice
  • Identifying the needs of the community, facilitating discussions, and establishing consensus to guide decisions.
  • Organizing ongoing conversations and integrating various perspectives, to shape them into a broader plan and timeline.
  • Clarifying what falls within the scope of GLAM, Culture and Heritage

Next steps

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Following extensive community discussions, surveys, and global meetings, the GLOSS Working Group has decided to form a steering committee to prepare an application for Wikimedia affiliate recognition.

To support this process, up to six new members from the ESEAP, SA, and MENA regions are invited to join the committee and contribute to drafting a charter for official submission.

Two key points of consensus have emerged

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From the GLOSS meetings, the needs assessment surveys, and recent Global calls, two key points of consensus emerged:

Community in focus:

Participants widely supported the idea that the initial focus of a GLAM affiliate should be on community-based activities such as:

  • Hosting global calls
  • Coordinating newsletters
  • Coordinating thematic tracks
  • Organising or supporting regional and global conferences

The affiliate would then progressively expand to support other GLAM activities through collaborative strategy development.

User group as a starting point:

While a Thematic Organization or Hub was highly rated in the survey, there is a clear consensus that an initial step—such as forming a Wikimedia User Group—may be most practical.

This user group could eventually evolve into or work alongside a more formal structure, while aligning with the broader hub development in progress within the Wikimedia movement.

Those interested in joining the steering committee should express interest by 14 August 2025. The committee will begin its work during the week of 18 August 2025. Reach out to the coordinators via Email or Telegram.

Previous Activites

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As a first step the working group has agreed to survey the GLAM Wiki community about the needs and scope of a formal structure. The survey is available here GLAM/GLOSS/Survey

2025 Calendar

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If you’re interested to get involved reach out to any member of the working group via the telegram GLAM Wiki group chat.

Contact: Volunteer coordinator, Connor Benedict

Existing groups and structures

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Previous event coordination

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  • GLAM Wiki conferences (2018, 2023)
  • GLAM Wiki Conference PH 2024

Current members of the working group

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