[Wikimediaindia-l] Insights from GLAMcamp Amsterdam

[Noopur]

Dear all,
These are my insights from GLAMcamp Amsterdam. I have put them in form of
some key questions. For me it was a brilliant learning experience. So, most
of these answers are not mine, rather they have been generated as
collaborative responses by various people from different chapters. I am
grateful to WMF, WM-NL and WM-UK for their special interest in helping
encourage GLAM participation in India.
This is the link to the programs:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAMcamp_Amsterdam#Schedule and in each
session you will find an etherpad link to the live discussion!


Why GLAMwiki is becoming all the more important?

Flickr: popular mass upload tool but is no longer available; it has pending
requests and flickr commons has no money to support more file sharing.
Wikimedia Commons allows almost the same functions and metadata sharing,
open licensing with a bonus Wikipedia link (something that institutions go
by). Since most institutions don’t really know what Wikimedia or commons
is, the Wikipedia name leverages partnerships and allows them similar
archiving benefits. For us, it is also outreach.


Common questions by GLAM institutions in other countries:

   -

   Why Wikipedia, why not our own website?

Because of the abysmal disparity in web-view. Simply, Wikipedia is the
5thmost visited, gives far more visibility in web traffic as compared
to your
own website. However, integrating wikis and providing links is not hard
either. So, it doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive.

   -

   This is complicated, is there an easier way to collaborate?

Advice to GLAM and cultural/outreach people: Carry presentations (PPT),
simple statistics, don’t go into metrics jargon, show in simple numbers,
percentage, fractions how people can make a difference or vice versa. Use
things like color coding, emphasize on the importance and seriousness of
‘free knowledge’, larger things that Wikipedia is also in service of. This
helps people connect at different levels. Most importantly, break your
hierarchies and trash your rule books (or make simpler ones that use less
jargon). If you are concerned about quality editing there are two solutions
(get content specific editathons and organize a Wiki academy EVERY week).


What happens once partnership is over? How to sustain?

This is why a GLAM coordinator is not simply a GLAM person. S/he is also
someone who does massive outreach: Wikipedia takes your city; Wiki loves
monuments, wikiacademies, PR and network building with local, regional and
national resource persons outside the community. While in capacity as a
fellow, the idea is also to do value addition, train employees (at least
train in minor edits, article making, image uploading). Source one contact
through another.

(My take: As I see it, there has to be a crucial change in orientation.