Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Promoting Linked Open Data and Wikibase in Nigerian Libraries:A Pilot Project (ID: 22111617)
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Applicant Details[edit]
- Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.
Omorodion1
- Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.
User: Omorodion1, User: Alan Ang (WMDE), User:Mohammed Sadat (WMDE), User: Nosakhare Okuons
- Organization
N/A
- Are you a member of any Wikimedia affiliate or group, including informal groups like Wiki Fan Clubs, emerging language communities, not recognized Wikimedia groups etc.? Please list them all.
Yes.
I am a member of:
Wikimedia User Group Nigeria Wikimedia+Libraries User Group Wikimedians for Sustainable Development Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub Edo Wikimedia Hub Nigerian Wikibrarian Community
Grant Proposal[edit]
- M. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Promoting Linked Open Data and Wikibase in Nigerian Libraries: A Pilot Project
- Q. Indicate if it is a local, international, or regional proposal and if it involves several countries? (optional)
Local
- Q2. If you have answered regional or international, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.
- R. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.
- 1. What is the change that you are trying to bring about and why is this important.
This project is conceived to help shape the decentralization of knowledge graph through the creation, connection, and growth of a collaborative knowledge base among libraries in Nigeria, by leveraging on open platforms such as Wikidata and Wikibase. The project aims to build a knowledge base of linked data from Nigerian libraries, so as to improve the visibility of library collections and data from Africa on one hand, and also connect data from Nigerian libraries to a global knowledge base.
In the first phase of this project, we held a Wikibase and Linked Open Data Seminar for librarians in Nigeria (https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=3331257350451690) via a partnership with the Nigerian Library Association, Edo State Chapter and the Wikimedia Deutschland. The seminar was facilitated by Alan Ang, Partner Manager and Mohammed Sadat Abdulai, Community Communications Manager, Wikidata/Wikibase in October 2022.
In the next phase, we seek to implement Wikibase and develop Linked Open data from Nigerian Libraries. To achieve this, we plan to organize a Wikibase pilot programme at Glorious Vision University Library. Through this pilot program, we hope to create an in-depth understanding of Linked Open Data and Wikibase among Librarians in Nigeria, create a Wikibase.Cloud account for the Library, as well as link at least 500 bibliographic records from the library to Wikidata/Wikibase. In addition, we plan to hold a Wikidata/Wikibase in-person workshop for selected Librarians in Nigeria so they can help build a knowledge base of linked open data.
- 2. Describe your main approaches or strategies to achieve these changes and why you think they will be effective.
The main strategy to achieve the goals in this project is to build the capacity of librarians at Glorious Vision University Library, so they can have better understanding of Linked Open Data and also build a knowledge base of linked open structured data in a Wikidata/Wikibase environment. Given the technicalities involved in the creation and management of structured data, it will be extremely useful to have hands-on workshop training for the librarians so they can have the required skills and knowledge to develop a knowledge base of linked open data which will help create better visibility for library resources and promote knowledge sharing. Consequently, the project will adopt a train-the-trainer model where 6 virtual workshops/training will first be organized for 6 selected librarians at Glorious Vision University Library, before an in-person Workshop will be held for 30 selected librarians in the country. It is hope that the 6 trained librarians in the virtual workshop will support other librarians participating in the in-person workshop.
The second strategy to achieve the goals of this project is to build a knowledge base of linked data by linking at least 500 bibliographic records from Glorious Vision University Library to Wikidata/Wikibase, so as to open up more data from Nigerian libraries. This will ultimately help to increase accessibility to collections from Nigerian libraries, as well as help link metadata from Nigeria to a global database. This will ultimately result in creating a solid example for others to follow.
- 3. What are the activities you will be developing and delivering as part of these approaches or strategies?
As part of the strategies identified for this project, the following key activities will be carried out:
- 1. Wikidata/Wikibase Virtual Workshops: We will organize at least six Wikidata/Wikibase Workshop for 6 librarians at Glorious Vision University Library. This Workshop will include an introduction to Wikidata, Wikibase and Wikibase.cloud; organization and use of Wikidata triple statement, writing basic SPARQL queries, use of data visualization tools on Wikidata such as Scholia.
- 2. Data-a-thon: We will carry out a data-a-thon where at least 500 bibliographic records of the library will be created on Wikidata/Wikibase so as to link library data from Nigeria to global knowledge base. This task will be undertaken by only a selected librarians who would have acquired the needed skills to carry out batch upload of bibliographic records using Wikidata QuickStatements.
- 3. In-person Wikidata/Wikibase Workshop for Selected Librarians: This will include a 2-day in-person workshop for 30 selected librarians from different libraries, so they can learn the practical steps to building linked open data in Wikidata/Wikibase environment. The librarians will be selected based on their availability, interest in learning linked open data within the Wikidata/Wikibase environment and readiness to implement it in their libraries. This workshop is expected to build on knowledge gained during the introductory virtual seminar held in October 2022. The selected Librarians will equally gain hands-on experience in a linked data–friendly environment, understand how this work mirrors or diverges from current authority and cataloging workflows, understand how linked data relationships between entities might affect search, retrieval, and discovery; learn about working with Wikidata properties in a Wikibase environment, envision how linked data could be integrated with other components of existing metadata environments.
- 4. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign or event? If so, please select the relevant campaign below. If so, please select all the relevant campaigns from the list below. If "other", please state which.
Not applicable
- 5. Do you have the team that is needed to implement this proposal?
Yes.
User: Omorodion1 (Project Lead/Coordinator) - is an experienced Wikimedian and Librarian. He has certifications in MSQL and Management Information Systems. He coordinated the first phase of the Wikibase in Nigerian Libraries Project. User Omorodion1 has organized and facilitated several Wikimedia events in Nigeria, including the Wiki Train-the-Trainers Workshop for Librarians in Edo State.
User: Alan Ang (WMDE) (Project Advisor and Facilitator 1): Alan is a Partner Manager at Wikimedia Deutschland. He has facilitated and coordinated several linked open data training within the Wikimedia community.
User: Mohammed Sadat (WMDE) (Project Advisor and Facilitator 2) - Mohammed is the Community Communication Manager at Wikidata/Wikibase. He has facilitated several Wikidata trainings within and outside Africa. He was the Wikidata resource person at the second iteration of the Africa Open data conference in 2017.
User: Nosakhare Okuons (Publicity and Logistics) - is an experienced Wikimedia and Librarian. He will handle the publicity and logistics related to this project.
- 6. 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.
Content Gender gap, Geography, Other global topics for impact (topics considered to be of global importance)
- 6.1 In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge.
This project aim to help include data from African libraries to a global knowledge base by equipping librarians from Nigeria with the required skills needed to work in a linked open data environment.
- 7. 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.
Education, Culture, heritage or GLAM , Open Technology
- 8. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?
Geographic , Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background, Digital Access
- 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?
The target participants for this project are librarians from within and outside Glorious Vision University Library in Nigeria. As knowledge managers, Nigerian librarians will be trained to create linked open data that will help foster accessibility to library bibliographic records. It is hoped that after this project, Librarians from Nigeria would be able to improve the global knowledge base of linked open data by creating and linking bibliographic records from their library to the global knowledge base using available open platforms such as Wikidata/Wikibase. The project will mainly target Cataloguers/Metadata Librarian, System Librarians, and circulation librarians from Nigeria.
- 10. In what ways are you actively seeking to contribute towards creating a safer, supportive, more equitable environment for participants?
The Wikimedia friendly space policy and universal code of conduct will be implemented in our in-person and online events. In the event of unacceptable behaviour by any of the participants, corrective actions such as warning (in the first instance) will be enforced. The event organizers will equally make efforts to provide participants with contacts of the local law enforcement, event venue security and event organizers.
- 11. Please tell us about how you have let your Wikimedia communities know about the planned activities and this proposal. Use this space to describe the processes you carried out to make the community more involved in planning this proposal. Please link the on-wiki community discussion(s) around the proposals.
I have informed the Wikimedia Community in Nigeria about this project. I have equally announced the project in the discussion page of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria. See link below
- 12. Are you aware of other Rapid Fund proposals in your local group, community, or region that are being submitted and that align with your proposed project?
No
If yes:
- 12.1 Did you explore the possibility of doing a joint proposal with other leaders in your group?
- N/A
- 12.2 How will this joint proposal allow you to have better results?
- N/A
- 13. Will you be working with other external, non-Wikimedia partners to implement this proposal? Required.
Yes
- 13.1 Please describe these partnerships and what motivates the potential partner to be part of the proposal and how they add value to your work.
This project is being implemented in partnership with the Wikimedia Deutschland. The Wikimedia Deutschland will provide the technical expertise and guidance for the implementation of this project.
- 14. 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.
Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Identify Topics for Impact, Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation[edit]
- 15. What do you hope to learn from your work in this fund proposal?
Given the overall goal of this project, we hope to learn about the perception of Nigerian librarians towards linked open data. What skills do they need to contribute to the global knowledge base within the Wikidata/Wikibase environment? What kind of support do they require to create and maintain a knowledge base of linked open data? How can Nigerian librarians use Wikidata/wikibase to improve library services delivery?
- 16. Based on these learning questions, what is the information or data you need to collect to answer these questions? Please register this information (as metric description) in the following spaces provided.
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of event | We will have three main events that will include six virtual training/workshop, data-a-thon and 2-day in-person workshop | 3 |
| Contribution of content to Wikibase/Wikidata | At least 500 Bibliographic records from the library will be linked to Wikidata | 500 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 17. Core quantitative metrics.
| Core metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | The total participants will include 6 library staff from Glorious vision University, 2 main facilitators, and 30 participants for the in-person workshop. At least 20 participants will be returning participants while 18 will be new participants. | 38 |
| Number of editors | The total number of editors for this project is 36. At least 50% of the total editors will be experienced editors. | 36 |
| Number of organizers | The project will have 4 main organizers. | 4 |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Wikidata | At least 500 bibliographic records will be added to Wikidata from Glorious Vision University Library | 500 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Atleast 50 content will be added to Wikimedia Commons | 50 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 17.1 If for some reason your proposal will not measure these core metrics please provide an explanation.
Although this proposal will contribute content to existing Wikimedia projects, it is worthy to note that emphasis will be on capacity/ skill building.
- 18. What tools would you use to measure each metric selected? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support.
We would use the Outreach Dashboard to measure the core metrics for the project. Mentimeter, survey and focused group discussion will be used to collect the qualitative data for this project.
Financial Proposal[edit]
- 19. & 19.1 What is the amount you are requesting from Wikimedia Foundation? Please provide this amount in your local currency.
1058499 NGN
- 19.2 What is this amount in US Currency (to the best of your knowledge)?
2293.61 USD
- 20. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10UtUvfhYKuOGcdR1Ofb0FrfofCT2yHFPRZeUH6qxWwI/edit#gid=0
- 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).