WikiIndaba conference 2017/Program/WiR

Here you will find the notes for a presentation given on the WikiIndaba conference 2017 on 21st of January 2017 at 3 pm by Gereon Kalkuhl.

Wikimedians in Residence. What it is and how to get there. Chances for Wikimedians, organizations and our projects

Your starting point to learn about Wikimedians in Residence should be outreach:Wikipedian in Residence on the Outreach-Wiki.

Since June 2010 there are Wikimedians respectively Wikipedians in Residence. These are edtitors who are embedded into organizations and help publish the content of these organizations on Wikimedia projects. The places where Wikimedians in Residence work can be museums, libraries, associations, archives, foundations, institutes, TV and radio stations, trusts and universities.

The core characteristics of a Wikimedian in Residence are as follows:

• Serves as a liaison between the organization and the Wikimedia community to promote a mutually beneficial cooperation.
• Promotes understanding of Wikimedia among staff at the organization through workshops and events.
• Works with organizational staff to digitize, compile, and organize resources that can be shared with the Wikipedia community.
• Facilitates the improvement of content by the Wikipedia community, rather than directly editing articles as a core goal.
• Coordinates events, such as Hack-a-Thons, Edit-a-Thons, or Backstage Passes, that bring Wikipedians on-site to work with staff on content creation and improvement.
• Formally coordinated by the institution, allowing the resident to work closely with staff for various projects.
• Ultimately, a residency lays the foundation for a more lasting partnership between the Wikipedia community and an organization.

Liam Wyatt, the very first Wikimedian in Residence, who was Wikimedian in Residence in the British Museum in London will talk to attendants of this presentation via Skype from Italy to explain how to apporach cultural institutions for a collaboration.