Wikisource reader app
Wikisource reader is a mobile application to read Wikisource contents from any Android device.
Wikisource
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Wikisource is an open and free digital library with an extensive online repository of copyright-free pre-published texts and media resources in various languages of the world. Functioning similarly to Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and other open access knowledge Wikimedia projects, Wikisource strives to make a vast collection of public domain content accessible to the global community. Its diverse content encompasses books, scholarly articles, speeches, newspapers, periodicals, manuscripts etc. along with huge collections of audio recordings, and videos that are not subject to copyright restrictions and serves as a valuable resource for students, educators, researchers, and anyone seeking access to public domain materials.
The collaborative nature of Wikisource encourages active participation from the global community. Anyone with an interest in preserving and sharing public domain content can contribute to the site. Contributors can add new texts, meticulously proofread existing content, or engage in translating texts into various languages. This collective effort fosters a vibrant community of volunteers dedicated to enriching and maintaining the quality of Wikisource.
Requirement of mobile reading app
[edit]English Wikisource was visited more than 138 million times in the year 2024 out of which around 40% visited from mobile web platform. The percentage is around 50% for major Indian language Wikisource projects like Tamil, Bangla etc. So, even without the existence of any reading app, the mobile users are visiting the Wikisource projects on a significant proportion. That provided a good opportunity to develop a reading app specific to Wikisource.
History
[edit]The idea to develop Wikisource reader app utilizing the power of Wikidata was introduced to CIS-A2K by Bodhisattwa, who was assigned to prepare a proof of concept on paper during the month of September, 2024 which was prepared by that month. It was decided to select a suitable developer who can conceptualize the proof of concept and develop an android version of the mobile app within coming months. With this goal, Wiki Tech Summit 2024 was attended and SaiPhani02, a participant in the conference, was selected as the developer of the app. The app was subsequently developed as contractual assignment from CIS-A2K until the contract ended in March, 2025. Since then, the development of the app has been carried out by Saiphani02 and Bodhisattwa in their volunteer capacities. Levy Muguro, a fullstack software engineer from Nairobi, Kenya is currently contributing in the codebase as an Outreachy intern to bring new features and resolve bugs.