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Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/Wikimedia and Libraries Conference 2024 (WIkiLibCon24)

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Wikimedia and Libraries Conference 2024 (WIkiLibCon24)
proposed start date2024-03-01T00:00:00Z
proposed end date2024-08-30T00:00:00Z
budget (local currency)125037 USD
decision fiscal year2023-24
applicant• Windblown29
organization (if applicable)• Wikimedia and Libraries User Group

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Applicant details

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A. Are you applying as a(n)

Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)

B. Full name of organization presenting the proposal.

Wikimedia and Libraries User Group

F. Do you have an account on a Wikimedia project?

Yes

F1. Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.

Windblown29

F2. Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.

BiblioQC Orlysi

G. Are you legally registered?

Yes

If you are applying as an individual or your group is not a legally registered nonprofit in your country, we require that you have a fiscal sponsor.

Objectives and Strategy

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1. Please state the title of your proposal.

Wikimedia and Libraries Conference 2024 (WIkiLibCon24)

2.1. When will the event begin? Please enter the event start date.

2024-05-01

2.2. When is the last day of your event?

2024-05-31

3.1. When will you begin preparing for your event?

2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

3.2. When will you expect to complete your last event payment?

2024-08-30T00:00:00Z

4. Where will this proposal be implemented? Where will the conference take place?

Morocco

5. Is it a remote or in-person event?

In-person event

5.1. What will be the total number of participants at the event? (including scholarship recipients + organizing team + other guests + self funded guests) (required)

200

6. Please indicate whether your work will be focused on one country (local), more than one or several countries in your region (regional) or has a cross-regional (global) scope.

International

6.1. If you have answered regional, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.

Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Greece, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, etc.

7. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.

libraries@lists.wikimedia.org https://www.facebook.com/groups/WikiLibrary/community_chats

8. Do you work with any thematic or regional platforms such as WISCom, CEE, Iberocoop, etc.

Yes

8.1. Please describe what platforms and your work with them.

Wikimedia and Libraries User Group, the Wikimedia Morocco User Group.

9. Please describe the target participants for this event.

International Wikimedians who are working in libraries and want to learn and share what they are doing within libraries and what they have learned in the process. All levels are welcome.

10. Please provide the link to the event's page if you already have one.

Meta page for 2022 conference: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia%2BLibraries_International_Convention_2022

2024 page forthcoming.

The following questions (11-14) will refer to the Community Engagement Survey which is required in order to submit a proposal. Here is the survey form that you can copy and use (if the link does not work): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ieEI8EFf2vxjD9wN_h8-srYeRCp4fhSp7_1_wiR2jh8/edit. This survey is required to access a Conference grant.

11. How many people did you send the community engagement survey to?

500

11.1. When did you conduct the survey, and for how long?

We conducted the survey throughout the month of August 2023

12. How many people responded to the survey?

50

13. What are the main objectives of the event?

The Wikimedia+Libraries Meetup in Rabat, Morocco is the second opportunity for librarians, library technicians, library workers, and information professionals from the global community to gather and focus on how librarianship and libraries intersect with Wikimedia projects and the Movement. Additionally, the Meetup allows librarians to focus on how they may better support and contribute to Wikimedia projects (such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, Wikisource and Wikibooks). The Wikimedia projects naturally intersect with library expertise such as metadata, knowledge synthesis, information infrastructure and life-long learning. At the end of the event we anticipate that participants will share with their local communities. We will have gathered momentum to solidify the place of the Wikipedia + Libraries User Group in global librarianship, meeting challenges and pertinent issues as discovered and expressed by our membership and colleagues.

14. Based on survey responses, what are the most important things your community should do at the conference to achieve these objectives?

Our survey produced a plethora of opinions and recommendations for how Wikibrarians can move forward with capacity building. Respondents mentioned multiple arenas of growth including the importance of being involved in the Wikimedia Movement and leading the way for other Wikibrarians. Training librarians to take ownership of Wikimedia projects was mentioned several times. The need for professional training on Wikimedia projects remains relevant. Respondents want to meet in-person to tackle issues such as low digital literacy, mentorships amongst ourselves, enhancing the contribution of African librarians, coming to grips with AI, continued efforts to make bibliographic data open, and much more. Beneficial and constructive growth for our global and local community(ies) is the goal.

15. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified CONTENT knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.

Language, Geography, Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context)

15.1. In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge. (optional recommended).

By hosting the conference in Morocco, we believe we will address the language, geography and important context gap by increasing the number of librarians involved in French and Arabic Wikimedia projects in an African context.

We believe we will be able to finish the conference with a group of French speaking and Arabic speaking librarians that can contribute to training other librarians in French speaking Africa and in Arab speaking Africa and the Middle East. We can further the Wikipedia work of AfLIA.

16. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or THEMATIC focus. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work and explain the rationale for identifying these themes.

Advocacy, Diversity, Culture, heritage or GLAM

17. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?

Geographic , Linguistic / Language, Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background

18. Do you intend to invite or engage with non-Wikimedian individuals or organizations? If so – can you explain your intention for this outreach?

We are focused on gathering librarians and information professionals who engage or desire to learn more about engaging with Wikimedia projects.

19. What will you do to make sure participants continue to engage in your activities after the event?

The WLUG will continue as the hub for all library Wikimedia projects.We will have a post-survey to gauge success and recommendations for future conferences. We will also continue anecdotal discussions with our various groups to further the themes and developing areas of focus. The planning committee will meet to review and debrief to offer suggestions for the next conference. Because we will be in North Africa there is a possibility to create a WLUG subgroup to expand capacity in the region.

20. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select a maximum of THREE options that most apply.

Ensure Equity in Decision-making, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Innovate in Free Knowledge

Logistical Aspects

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21. Do you have any proposed venue for the event?

We are working with the National Library of the Kingdom Morocco which will also be celebrating its 100th anniversary. The National Library is in the capital city of Morocco, about 60 min from the airport via public transportation and about 20 minutes by car from the airport. The National Library is a tram stop in Rabat, accessible and we plan on using hotels that are accessible to persons with physical disabilities.

22. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?

Yes

23. How many scholarships would you like to offer?

We would like to offer 50 scholarships, with 25 additional partial scholarships

24. What expenses will the scholarship cover?

50 scholarships to cover travel, accommodations 25 additional scholarships to cover partial travel or accommodations.

25. How will scholarship recipients be selected?

Any active contributor to a Wikimedia project or Wikimedia volunteer in any other capacity, from anywhere in the world, is considered eligible for a scholarship. All applications that are eligible for a scholarship will be reviewed by the scholarship committee with an in-depth evaluation.

Scholarships will be given to participants based on the information provided in the application about their previous experiences and current engagement. This meetup is intended to be “international” in scope, therefore, to ensure the broadest global distribution of scholarships, we will limit the number of full scholarships to no more than four from any one country.

26. In which ways can Wikimedia Foundation staff support your event onsite?

We seek support in outreach and communication efforts, to help assure broad international representation at the event. We also seek support (leading a session) about strategic planning related to Wikimedia 2030.

We desire a presence from the Wikimedia Foundation, particularly colleagues from the Wikipedia Library and the other Library related or adjacent Foundation units.

We welcome other ideas about WMF involvement.

26.2. Do you intend to invite any WMF staff members to your event? (please note that all WMF staff travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the foundation). Please indicate what is the limit number of WMF staff members you would like to welcome at your event.

We understand WMF staff were conveniently in Ireland for the first WikiLibCon(22) and that made for successful networking and collaboration opportunities. We would like to invite Silvia Gutiérrez, WMF Senior Program Officer, Libraries and a representative from the Wikipedia Library and possibly 1-2 others from the Foundation to join our event.

27. Please outline the roles and responsibilities of the organizing team for the conference.

Core Organizing team: Windblown29, BiblioQC, Orlysi Wikimedia Foundation Liaison: Windblown29 Logistics: Orlysi Conference Program : BiblioQC Scholarships: Windblown29 Communications; Orlysi Volunteer Coordinators: BiblioQC Other team members: We also have 9 additional organizing team members

28. Do you have plans to co-organize the event with other Wikimedia communities, groups or affiliates?

No

28.1. If yes, can you please explain how you are going to co-organize the event and what responsibilities each partner will have.


29. What kind of risks do you anticipate and how would you mitigate these?

Examples of risks, along with how we would minimize or overcome them, are:

  • Skill gaps in project leadership, event management, financial management.
  • Difficulty in managing translation needs.
  • Capacity to handle scholarships and associated travel.
  • No-shows (Maximum capacity of 200).
  • Obtaining visas for the host country

Examples of how to minimize these risks include:

  • Recruit additional volunteers with desired skills to the project leadership team.
  • Hire a company, perhaps a travel agent, to handle travel arrangements for scholarships.
  • Work closely with the WMF Team to control the project and the organization of the event.
  • Evaluate the translation options.
  • Keep in contact with scholarship recipients to confirm attendance and identity any planning needs.
  • We chose a location that has relatively simplified visa requirements
30. Friendly space policy - Please add the link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.

We will use the WMF Friendly Space Policy along with Keeping Events Safe training modules. https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/training/support-and-safety/keeping-events-safe

Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation

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31. What do you hope to learn from your work organising this conference?

Initial goal: to establish a culture of local growth through an International conference. To have at least 30% of participants from the local community who have never worked with Wikipedia to become new ambassadors for Wikimedia; opportunity to expose future and current librarians to the Wikimedia movement. Given that Rabat has the National Library and a faculty of library and information science, there is a large opportunity to reach new Wikimedians.

32. Main open metrics
Main Open Metrics Data
Main Open Metrics Description Target
New Wikimedians Recruit new librarians local to the region 60
Wikimedia + Library User Group Establish a French language and Arabic languague subgroup in North Africa 2
Capacity Building Workshops 3-day conference with every day a half-day training sessions on Wikimedia projects 6
Engaging with the Movement Activity session or kiosk where librarians learn about the Movement and how to engage and become champions of the Movement. 1
N/A N/A N/A

Financial Proposal

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33. What is the amount you are requesting from Wikimedia Foundation? Please provide this amount in your local currency.

125037

34. Select your local currency.

USD

35. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.


36. Do you expect to receive funding for this conference from other organizations to support your work?

No

36.1. If yes, what kind of resources are you expecting to get?


We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

Please use this optional space to upload any documents that you feel are important for further understanding your proposal.
Other public document(s):

Endorsements and Feedback

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Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.

Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:

  • Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
  • Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
  • Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
  • Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
  • Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).

Endorse