Hola! From a non-Wikipedian Wikimedian - in Edinburgh - who is delighted with the response from some tentative outreach work.
I spend around an hour this morning touring Edingburgh's Central Library with Fiona Myles, took around 150 photos of the interior of the building, and _hope_ I've laid the groundwork for us to work far more closely in future.
I have, dependent on copyright, a verbal agreement to get high-res scans of the plans of the building (A Carnegie Library), a keen interest to have librarians briefed on Wikipedia - if not outright encouraged to contribute, and the possibility of running recruitment/induction sessions in Edinburgh. Which, for the unwashed masses, is a UNESCO City of Literature.
Given the piss-poor representation up here in Scotland, I think that's a major win. My next job, as interim 'cowboy liasion' between Wikimedia UK and Museums Galleries Scotland is to get a few councillors calling for all publicly funded publications to be under a CC-BY license.
Any, and all, encouragement welcome. Any Englandshire Wikimedians wh plan to visit Edingburgh in the next 6-12 months, please feel free to drop me a mail. If I can get you meetings with people, or privileged access for photography, I will.
Fun and frivolity aside, with limited Internet access I've come to the conclusion that public libraries are the way to recruit. Brief the staff of what makes a good Wikipedia article - half of them know already - then a simple static display may encourage locals to try their hand. Here in Edinburgh I suspect I can, without too many problems, get articles put into about a half-dozen languages with keen help from library staff.
And this message's title? Purloined from a book on the city's libraries.
Brian McNeil -- Wikinews, Accredited Reporter. Personal: brian.mcneil@o2.co.uk "Facts don't cease to be facts, but news ceases to be news."
I hope we will be jumping at your offer! Brilliant work,
On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 1:03 PM, brian.mcneil@wikinewsie.org wrote:
Hola! From a non-Wikipedian Wikimedian - in Edinburgh - who is delighted with the response from some tentative outreach work.
I spend around an hour this morning touring Edingburgh's Central Library with Fiona Myles, took around 150 photos of the interior of the building, and _hope_ I've laid the groundwork for us to work far more closely in future.
I have, dependent on copyright, a verbal agreement to get high-res scans of the plans of the building (A Carnegie Library), a keen interest to have librarians briefed on Wikipedia - if not outright encouraged to contribute, and the possibility of running recruitment/induction sessions in Edinburgh. Which, for the unwashed masses, is a UNESCO City of Literature.
Given the piss-poor representation up here in Scotland, I think that's a major win. My next job, as interim 'cowboy liasion' between Wikimedia UK and Museums Galleries Scotland is to get a few councillors calling for all publicly funded publications to be under a CC-BY license.
Any, and all, encouragement welcome. Any Englandshire Wikimedians wh plan to visit Edingburgh in the next 6-12 months, please feel free to drop me a mail. If I can get you meetings with people, or privileged access for photography, I will.
Fun and frivolity aside, with limited Internet access I've come to the conclusion that public libraries are the way to recruit. Brief the staff of what makes a good Wikipedia article - half of them know already - then a simple static display may encourage locals to try their hand. Here in Edinburgh I suspect I can, without too many problems, get articles put into about a half-dozen languages with keen help from library staff.
And this message's title? Purloined from a book on the city's libraries.
Brian McNeil
Wikinews, Accredited Reporter. Personal: brian.mcneil@o2.co.uk "Facts don't cease to be facts, but news ceases to be news."
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 22 May 2012 13:03, brian.mcneil@wikinewsie.org wrote:
Given the piss-poor representation up here in Scotland, I think that's a major win. My next job, as interim 'cowboy liasion' between Wikimedia UK and Museums Galleries Scotland is to get a few councillors calling for all publicly funded publications to be under a CC-BY license.
I think you've just become the local office ;-p
Fun and frivolity aside, with limited Internet access I've come to the conclusion that public libraries are the way to recruit. Brief the staff of what makes a good Wikipedia article - half of them know already - then a simple static display may encourage locals to try their hand. Here in Edinburgh I suspect I can, without too many problems, get articles put into about a half-dozen languages with keen help from library staff.
That is *absolutely brilliant*. Newbies creating Wikipedia articles with lots of book references? It's hard to get better than that!
- d.
wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org