Grants:TPS/BostonCityArchives/US OpenGLAM Launch Weekend

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User name
BostonCityArchives
User location (country)
USA
Event name
US OpenGLAM Launch Weekend
Event Web site
http://wiki.okfn.org/US_OpenGLAM_Launch
Event date(s)
March 23-24, 2013
Event location (city)
Berkeley, CA
Amount requested (remember to specify currency!)
USD 775.50
Endorsements

Budget breakdown[edit]

  • Travel: USD 561.00 [1] [2]
  • Accommodation: USD 60 per night x 3 nights = USD 180 [3]
  • Food: $23/day x 2 days = $34.50 [4]

Proposed Participation[edit]

I am an Archivist at the City of Boston Archives and a new Wikimedia Commons user. The Archives has over 15, 000 images documenting Boston’s historical municipal experience. Over 2,000 of these images have been digitized and we want to make them available via Wikimedia Commons. With the assistance of Dominic McDevitt Parks (User:Dominic), the City Archives recently posted 349 historical photographs of school buildings to Wikimedia Commons. Currently, we are designing and implementing Wikimedia Commons projects for the Archives’ interns and volunteers. At the Launch weekend, I will give a lightening talk about the process of putting your repository’s images on Wikimedia Commons when you have a small staff and few resources. I will discuss the challenges of working with legacy metadata, legacy digital images, and a legal department with severe reservations about anything with the word “wiki” in it. In addition, by attending talks and workshops, I will learn about various tools that the Archives can use to improve our GLAM-WIki/Wikimedia projects.

Goal and Expected Impact[edit]

Through my talk, audience members will understand the challenges that understaffed and under-resourced repositories face when trying to make their documents and images available on Wikimedia Commons. As well, they will learn the ways in which these types of repositories can work around these challenges.

By attending the Launch, I will connect with other individuals who are enthusiastic about access and who have a committed interest in OpenGLAM/GLAM-Wiki. Additionally, I will learn about tools, resources, and other forms of support available to the City Archives as we continue to design and implement GLAM-Wiki projects. I plan to leave the conference with both a set of achievable goals for the City Archives and with the network, information, and tools necessary to meet those goals. I also plan to leave as a more informed advocate for access and the OpenGLAM/GLAM-Wiki movement.


  1. Roundtrip Economy Airfare (Boston to San Francisco): USD $543 (may fluctuate, I will update this request as appropriate during the review period)
  2. BART Fare: $18 (Roundtrip fare from San Francisco Airport to Berkley Campus)
  3. Footnote: Single room at Berkley Hostel - http://berkeleyhostel.com/rooms.html
  4. 75% of GSA rate for dinner, (lunch and morning tea are provided) -http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/101518