Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/EveryBookitsReader 2025 - Promoting Nigerian Literature (ID: 22890762)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
James Rhoda
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
EveryBookitsReader 2025 - Promoting Nigerian Literature
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-04-01 - 2025-07-31
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Nigeria
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Other (please specify) #EveryBookitsReader
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
Nigerian Literature and books not only serve as a form of education but also contain a lot of cultural history and ideology that bring about language development, which impacts not only the immediate environment but also society, However, in the past years, Nigerian literature has gained more visibility on Wikipedia and Wikidata but a significant amount of Nigeria literature and books are still missing on other Wikimedia projects, According to PetScan 233 books have been recorded on Wikipedia https://petscan.wmcloud.org/?psid=29951489, using the Wikidata query service 939 items have been recorded on Wikidata https://w.wiki/CC3f, https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Category:Nigerian_authors containing few publications from Nigerian authors on wiki source and https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Category:Authors_from_Nigeria articles on Wikiquote. This project aims to improve the subject of Nigerian literature, books and their Authors at the forefront by leveraging on the actions that have been carried out in the past. In the year 2022, my team and I carried out Wikidata for Nigerian Novelists and Novels and we were able to increase awareness for Nigerian Novelists and their Novels on Wikidata, in 2023 Promoting Nigerian Books and Authors (#EveryBookItsReader) was carried out where we worked with the association of authors and librarians to ensure articles and items were improved and created https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/06/23/promoting-nigerian-books-and-authors-2023-putting-our-literature-in-the-limelight/.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
Identification of Content Gaps: The first step in this campaign involves identifying content gaps related to Nigerian authors and their literary works across Wikimedia platforms such as Wikidata, WikiQuote, and WikiSource. To achieve this, we conducted a series of targeted queries:
- On Wikidata: Our queries revealed significant gaps in the representation of Nigerian authors and their works, with many items missing or incomplete https://w.wiki/CC3f.
- On WikiQuote: We discovered that many notable Nigerian authors and their quotes, as well as quotes from their books, are absent from the platform.
- On WikiSource: A review of the [Category:Nigerian authors on WikiSource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Category:Nigerian_authors) highlighted several pieces of Nigerian literature that remain undigitized or proofread [For example: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:PD_Nigeria_-_Books].
Planning, Mobilization and Sensitization: The project will leverage existing partnerships that we have built and sustained the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), members of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA), and Book Clubs to recruit and engage librarians, publishers, authors, bibliophiles, academics and students who are avid readers and enthusiasts of Nigerian Literature. These partners helped bolster our project outcomes in the first implementation and their endorsements encouraged their members to contribute to the campaign. We will also work closely with the #EveryBookItsReaders team during the implementation. All Necessary tools and information will also be planned for and provided to the participants.
Recruitment and training: Leveraging the above mobilization and sensitization efforts, we will recruit 30 participants from within and outside the Wikimedia communities, comprising new and existing editors. The training will be carried out by experienced editors who are knowledgeable in the various Wikimedia projects which this campaign will be running. Both new and existing editors will be provided with the necessary tools and information to effectively contribute to Wikidata, Wikisource, and WikiQuotes.
Activities: Data-a-thons: This activity will be a series of Wikidata training/data-a-thons to raise awareness about the available data about Nigerian Literary works and their authors. We will identify the gaps by introducing the participants to the Wikidata query service and how to use it to track items of literary works in Nigeria and their authors. We will also increase awareness of the importance of creating these data as a worklist that will guide participants on how to create /improve items identified. Furthermore, participants will be trained to run queries to know the existing data gap and create and improve items on Wikidata and also learn how to use the recoin tool to add necessary items to wikidata items.
Source-a-thon: This activity will include improving the quality, accuracy, and usability of texts without altering their original content. These edits include correcting typos, fixing OCR errors, improving formatting, proofreading and validating pages, updating metadata, enhancing categorization, and linking texts to Wikidata or other Wikimedia projects. The project will also be participating in the WikiSource monthly campaign to improve Wikisource.
Quote-a-thon: This activity will include improving the accuracy of the quotes by correcting typos, formatting issues, and grammar; verifying and adding reliable sources and providing quotes from African literature and authors. We will also link quotes to corresponding Wikidata items and Wikipedia articles for enhanced discoverability and integration.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
James Rhoda (Project Lead & Wikidata Trainer): is a Wikimedia volunteer from Nigeria. As a volunteer, she was the project lead for the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom programs for secondary school students in Kwara State, Promoting Nigerian Books and Authors, and Wikidata for Novels and Novelists in Nigeria among others, she has also served a facilitator for Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria, AfroCreatives 2022 contest, WikiLovesLibraries Nigeria, Celtic Knot Kwara, Building Open Culture Community for Sustainable Open Licensing for GLAM Institutions in Nigeria, and more.
Ridzaina: is a Wikimedia volunteer from Nigeria. She has served as the Programs Lead (Intern) at the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, a member of the WUGN Grants Committee for the Community Support Funds as a representative of the North Central Region of Nigeria, and as the General Secretary of the Wikimedia Fanclub, University of Ilorin for the academic session of 21/22. As a volunteer, she is the project lead for the Let's Connect Peer Learning Program in Kwara and has facilitated some Wikimedia projects which include Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom programs for teachers and secondary school students in Kwara State, 1lib1ref Kwara 2022, Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria, Wikidata for Novels and and Novelists in Nigeria, WikiLovesLibraries Nigeria, Promoting Nigerian Books and Authors, Celtic Knot Kwara, Building Open Culture Community for Sustainable Open Licensing for GLAM Institutions in Nigeria, and more. She has also participated in various Wikimedia projects and won several contests such as Wiki Loves SDG's Contest 2021, Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria, Afro Creatives 2022 contest, etc. She is a trained educator who is passionate about learning and sharing knowledge. Barakat will train the participants of this project on editing Wikipedia and creating articles on Nigerian names on Wikipedia.
Mijesty: She is an active member of the Wikipedia user group in Nigeria, holding a position as one of the executives in the University of Ilorin fan club. With her extensive knowledge and experience, she has successfully coordinated various Wikipedia projects, including but not limited to initiatives like "Wikipedia awareness in Offa" Inspire Inclusion-Africa Wiki Women co-facilitated "Wiki Loves Libraries." among others, Her commitment to fostering engagement and knowledge dissemination through these projects reflects her passion for leveraging Wikipedia as a powerful educational and informational resource.
Linason Blessing: She is a Certified Librarian, she has participated in various Wikimedia projects such as WikiLoveAfrica, WPWP, Co-lead WikiCred for information Literacy in Nigeria, WikiGLAM Awareness for Libraries, She led the Wikipedia awareness for Library and Information Science Students in Nigeria and led the Wiki Loves Libraries 2.0 in Nigeria, she is part of the communication team for the recently concluded Inspire Inclusion Campaign for the Africa Wiki Women, and also the Reviewer for the ongoing Wiki for Human Right Nigeria.
DivineGaby: She is an educator dedicated to inspiring students through innovative teaching. As an active Wikimedian, she focuses on GLAM projects, collaborating with cultural institutions to enhance the digital representation of diverse narratives. Her home wiki is Wikisource. She believes in empowering students to engage with global knowledge and preserving culture.
Lucy Iwuala: Iwuala Lucy is a Wikimedian and language professional. She's passionate about free knowledge dissemination and indigenous language advocacy and advocates for these causes through the Wikimedia sister projects
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
Our target participants are students, librarians, authors, poets and Wikimedians. A call for participation will be put out on social media platforms and Wikimedia-related platforms to notify interested participants, information and related notifications will be sent through participants' mails and a WhatsApp group will be created to distribute information easily. We will contact the Association of Librarians, Authors and related organisations to encourage participation from librarians and Authors.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
N/A
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
I have informed them at the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria for their suggestions and inputs. The link can be found here https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria#%23EveryBookItsReader_2025%3A_Promoting_Nigerian_Literature. And the leadership team of #EveryBook has expressed their support and enthusiasm for the proposal.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Not applicable
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Digital Access
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Improve User Experience
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
- Evaluate how well our strategies work across different platforms and communities to see which methods encourage better participation and lasting involvement.
- Contributor Challenges: Implement the learnings from the past implementations and find out the problems contributors face when working on this campaign. This will help us provide better support and resources to solve these issues.
- Feedback and Improvement: Collect feedback from participants to improve our strategies, activities, and support. This will help make our work better and keep people involved.
- Look at how the community is growing, the contributions being made, and how sharing Nigerian literature on Wikimedia projects helps show the culture better. This will give useful ideas for future EveryBookItsReader campaigns.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 36 | 20 returning participants and 10 new participants |
| Number of editors | 30 | 20 existing participants and 10 new participants |
| Number of organizers | 6 | The organizers will include librarians, coordinators and facilitators who have experience in various Wikimedia projects. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | |
| Wikidata | 150 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | 200 |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | 70 |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
No
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
Summary x Sigma Hashtags x WMFLabs, Outreach Dashboard Pages Created - XTools, wscontest.toolforge.org and Global account information
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xSE-Vftezqc-8NTAoyEUZOXvCs0VhRVeRBZ4ranD22w/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
1965049 NGN
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
1165.5 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]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).