[Wikimedia-l] The Wikipedia Library's Books and Bytes newsletter

Thu Dec 5 20:52:30 UTC 2013

I just wanted to say thanks to Jake and everyone who has worked on the
Wikipedia Library project -- this is a really cool and exciting set of
initiatives. I've seen a lot of interest lately from libraries in various
Wikipedia projects, and this outreach is definitely a big part of that.

Also, a pitch/reminder: if anyone is interested in discussing library
projects and Wikimedia, we do have a separate mailing list here:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/libraries that everyone is
welcome to join.

best,
phoebe

On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 10:16 AM, Jake Orlowitz <jorlowitz at gmail.com> wrote:
> Books & Bytes
>
> Volume 1, Issue 2, November 2013
>
> by The Interior (talk =B7 contribs), Ocaasi (talk =B7 contribs)
>
> Sign up for monthly delivery:
>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Library/Newsletter/Re=
> cipients
>
> Read online:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Library/=
> Newsletter/November_2013
>
>
> Wikipedia Library Highlights
>
> New accounts survey
>
> TWL is in discussions with several database providers to start new
> pilot programs for research account donations. Two of the largest
> research database organizations in the world, EBSCO Publishing and
> ProQuest, are both interested in learning which of their database
> services Wikipedians would be most interested in receiving. TWL has
> put together a survey to help with this, as well as gather more
> general information about usage, editor satisfaction and the direction
> Wikipedians would like to see their library moving in. The brief
> Google Forms survey takes 5-10 minutes, and will be sent out this week
> to TWL subscribers.
>
> JSTOR expired, extended
>
> The JSTOR pilot program, which gave 100 free accounts to top article
> writers, expired this month. Thanks to Steven Walling, an extension
> until the end of January was secured. Talks with JSTOR are ongoing to
> keep this valuable resource available free of charge to editors. Sign
> up for JSTOR.
>
> New Metrics
>
> New data from the Credo Partnership showed a 500% increase in links to
> the site in total since the program began. With much larger numbers in
> general, and a shorter time frame, the HighBeam increase of 390% as of
> May 2013 is also of interest. Special thanks to Johnuniq for compiling
> this data. If you are data-inclined, TWL always needs help compiling
> statistics. These stats are useful not only to our current partners,
> but also to encouraging prospective new partners to make donations.
>
> Help Needed: TWL Account Coordinator
>
> TWL is seeking a manager for the coordinated dispersal of donated
> accounts. The role involves watchlisting the application pages,
> vetting candidates using a fairly simple set of requirements (1 year
> activity, 1000 edits on any Wikimedia projects, having email enabled
> and an expressed desire to use the account for article work), and then
> emailing the access codes to users. As it stands, this would be not
> more 1-2 hours of work a week (though it will when new accounts are
> announced). Great communication and responsiveness so that subscribers
> get prompt replies to their applications is a must. If you are
> interested, please get in touch with The Interior or Ocaasi. Apply to
> be the new Account Coordinator.
>
> Wikipedia Visiting Scholars
>
> Along with the announcement of a position at George Mason University,
> a second institution plans to host a Wikipedia Visiting Scholar
> placement - University of California at Riverside Library.More details
> on this partnership should be announced in December and over a dozen
> universities are interested in attending an information session about
> the program in January. Also in December, George Mason will be seeking
> applications for their position. For more information on the Visiting
> Scholar program, see http://enwp.org/WP:WVS. Sign up to be a Wikipedia
Visiting
> Scholar.
>
> TWL presents: American Library Association's mid-winter meeting
>
> The ALA is the largest library organization in the U.S. TWL has been
> accepted to present at their mid-winter conference in Philadelphia on
> January 25th from 1:30 to 3:00pm. The session will introduce academic
> librarians from around the country to the role Wikipedia can play in
> learning and research. We will use the session both to introduce TWL's
> mission and scope, and then to kick-off the Wikipedia Visiting
> Scholars program with an overview of the initiative and plenty of time
> for planning and questions. Over a dozen top universities have
> expressed interest in attending, which bodes very well for the future
> placing Wikipedians in official research affiliate positions.
>
> New Talk: The Future of Libraries and Wikipedia
>
> Ocaasi gave the first presentation of The Future of Libraries and
> Wikipedia to George Mason University. GMU Professor and THATcamp
> coordinator Amanda French brought students and librarians together for
> the event. The talk highlights the mission and pillars of Wikipedia,
> the Wikipedia Library's 5 goals, and 13 to explore the question, What
> if Wikipedia's was the internet's library?
>
>
>
> Spotlight on people: Another Believer and Wiki Loves Libraries
>
> Books & Bytes was pleased to interview two of the community's Wiki
> Loves Libraries event coordinators, IJethroBT and AnotherBeliever.
> This fall, both organised edit-a-thons, one in Chicago, and others in
> Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. For this issue, we will
> present Another Believer=92s interview. Be sure to catch the December
> issue to hear about IJethroBT=92s experiences.
>
> Another Believer is Jason Moore, a Wikipedian based in Portland,
> Oregon. He works on articles on music and the arts, among other
> topics, and has been editing since 2007. He has organized three
> library-related edit-a-thons in the Portland area. His most recent
> event was at the Vancouver Community Library.
>
> What first attracted you to organising WLL events?
>
> My introduction to "real life" Wikipedia activity was an invitation to
> participate in an outreach project at the Wikimedia Foundation offices
> in San Francisco in 2010, followed by the Wikipedia 10 celebration in
> Portland, Oregon in 2011. From then on, I was hooked. I had found a
> community where my obsession with research, writing and the mission of
> Wikipedia required no explaining. I continued attending meetups and
> networking with Wikipedians, both online and offline. It was at
> Wikimania in Washington, D.C. where I received a thorough introduction
> to the GLAM-Wiki initiative, which promotes collaboration between the
> Wikipedia community and cultural institutions. Later that year, I was
> invited to help Multnomah County Library host an edit-athon at
> Portland's Central Library. The opportunity was appealing, giving
> purpose for a local meetup and a way for me to trial collaborating
> with a cultural institution.
>
> In your opinion, are library edit-a-thons a good way to recruit new
editors
> ?
>
> Absolutely. There are always challenges with recruiting and retaining
> editors, but it certainly makes sense for the largest and most popular
> reference work on the Internet to collaborate with institutions that
> exist to collect and make information resources available to the
> public. People who visit their local libraries might be the type of
> individuals who enjoy conducting research, or see value in sharing
> information. Libraries and Wikipedia both have an educational
> component, and partnering with cultural institutions certainly brings
> legitimacy to the latter. Even with limited resources, libraries have
> the ability to assist with outreach efforts and organizing meetups.
>
> At your events, do you see more brand new editors, or editors with
> some prior experience?
>
> Events tend to attract both new and experienced editors. Often I
> distribute invitations to meetups on-wiki, which obviously attracts
> people who have already created accounts and have a habit of checking
> their talk page, even if only occasionally. Brand new editors are
> usually attracted by the institution itself, whether the participants
> are curious staff, volunteers, or members of the public. Generally,
> forms of outreach by the library include event listings on the website
> and event calendar, on-site signage, and perhaps a regional library
> newsletter.
>
> What can libraries do to make WLL events more successful?
>
> Offer incentives to increase traffic. These do not have to be costly
> or complicated. Perhaps a behind-the-scenes tour of the library, or a
> promotional partnership with another institution. For example, how
> cool would it be if a library associated with an art museum offered
> free admission to a special exhibit? Or a staff member offered a
> private tour of the permanent collection, followed by an edit-athon
> where Wikipedians wrote articles about notable artists or works of
> art? There are ways to make editing interactive and fun. At the
> library events I have attended, librarians have been great about being
> prepared and having select resources pulled from the shelves and
> available for attendees. This eliminates the need for editors to spend
> time searching for materials.
>
> You have organised several events over the years. How has your
> methodology changed since your first event?
>
> My methodology has changed little. The process begins with contact and
> planning with the institution, outreach and invitation distribution to
> Wikipedians and the public, and a request for educational and/or
> promotional materials from the Wikimedia Foundation. It is important
> to make sure the event space can accommodate a group of reasonable
> size and provides enough electrical outlets. Refreshments and extra
> laptops are not required, but always appreciated. The day of the
> event, I greet my contact(s), set up the space, distribute materials
> and generally make myself available to participants. Sometimes there
> is a specific agenda, but often there are enough new contributors that
> much of my time is spent answering questions, registering new users,
> providing an overview of Wikipedia, and helping with first edits.My
> methods have not changed, but I have learned that sometimes it can be
> beneficial to market some events to experienced Wikipedians and others
> to new users; mixing the two groups is never problematic, but new and
> experienced contributors have different motivations for attending. A
> group of experienced users can quickly generate content and
> collaborate on more challenging tasks, while new users often require
> lots of attention. I appreciate both groups, but recognize that mixing
> them does not always create the most productive environment.
>
> How have library staff responded to your event proposals?
>
> Librarians have responded positively, but I must confess that for each
> of the three library events that I have hosted, I was invited by the
> librarians themselves. I am willing to conduct outreach, but more
> often my problem is that I receive more invitations than I can
> accommodate. Regardless of the method of contact, the librarians I
> have worked with express an appreciation for Wikipedia and an
> understanding that this online reference work is unavoidable, serving
> an important purpose in our society. In each case, I felt that the
> librarians trusted my abilities and appreciated my willingness to
> collaborate with their institution.
>
> Which works better a focused approach. We will work on X,Y, and Z
> during the edit-a-thon. or a looser approach, Just drop by and work
> on what you want to?
>
> This is a great question, but one I find difficult to answer. Both
> approaches can work well, depending on who is in attendance and the
> general purpose of the event. If content generation is the goal, focus
> is better. For a general meetup, or an advertised "introduction to
> Wikipedia," a looser approach is more appropriate.
>
> What are some things to avoid when hosting an event?
>
> When I host an event, I assume the role of facilitator. I do not
> dictate how the meetup should be, or set firm expectations. I would
> never make anyone feel out of line for expressing their opinion, or
> stupid for asking questions.
>
> If you had one piece of advice for a new WLL event organiser, what would
it
>  be?
>
> Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to attend GLAM Boot Camp in
> Washington, D.C., where a guest speaker expressed the following words
> of wisdom that resonated with me: "one is better than none." In the
> context of event organizing, this means that there is nothing wrong
> with simply proposing and time and location for a meetup and then
> seeing if others are willing to join. It might take a few attempts to
> mobilize a small community. If I had a second piece of advice, it
> would be to have a good relationship with the librarian(s) or other
> contacts involved, make sure expectations are set, and align your
> reasons for hosting the event.
>
> Upcoming in December: Wiki Loves Libraries events
>
> Open History: Queens and Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon - December 6 at Queens
> Library, New York, NY
>
> If you're hosting a library event in December or January, please add
> it to collaborations page on Outreach Wiki and we'll put it in the
> newsletter!
>
>
>
> Books & Bytes Briefly
>
> LOC considers Wikipedia's disambiguation: The Library of Congress
> Subject Headings, an authoritative classification system in use in
> libraries all over the world, is an ever-evolving entity. In an
> article in the e-journal Library Philosophy and Practice, the author
> suggests that the LCSH should adopt Wikipedia-style disambiguation
> terms. Read the full article here via the University of Nebraska
> Library. (PDF)
>
> Dewey Deleted? An interesting Articles for Deletion discussion for our
> article List of Dewey Decimal classes explored aspects of copyright
> relating to the venerable library system. In related news, OCLC has
> begun to consider broadening Dewey's license from CC-BY-NC-ND
> (non-commercial, non-derivative) to CC-BY.
>
> CC 4.0: Creative Commons, which created and maintains Wikipedia's
> CC-BY-SA license, released version 4.0 of their widely used protocol.
> The Open Knowledge Foundation highlighted the key changes.
>
> OA Button Goes live: Open-Access Button, a new lightweight set of
> browser extensions to highlight when readers hit academic paywalls was
> released this month. You can get the button and let the world know
> when journal paywalls inhibit the free flow of knowledge and research.
>
> OAuth released: The Wikimedia Foundation finished it's implementation
> of OAuth. This has big implications for TWL research access
> integration, because it would let editors sign into third-party
> websites using only their Wikipedia login. The WMF blog the details.
>
> TWL Logo? A discussion was started about a TWL Logo, thinking about
> adapting existing community logos or starting from scratch. TWL would
> like to host a new logo competition in the next few months. Please
> join the discussion.
>
> December GLAMOUT: Wikipedia's GLAM consortium is hosting an online
> discussion Friday, Dec. 6 at 3pm (EDT). There is one spot left to
> participate, and anyone can listen in through Google Hangouts.
>
> The Wikipedia Adventure game goes beta: A new game which teaches how
> to edit Wikipedia in about an hour was released this week. TWA may be
> useful to librarians, education classes, and editathons as a friendly
> and interactive introduction to Wikipedia's technical, social, and
> policy best practices.
>
> Diversity Conference in Berlin: Hosted by WMDE, the event kicked off a
> global push to add Diversity to Wikipedia contributors and content at
> the first ever Wikimedia Diversity Conference. WMF blog has a nice
> overview of the event. You can sign on to the intiative at
> Meta:Diversity. TWL is always interested in ways to broaden our
> community and our content with better outreach and research.
>
> Free textbooks: ChemWiki, a program to create free and open chemistry
> textbooks received a grant of $250,000 from the National Science
> Foundation. The site nets over 2 million visitors a month.
>
> Open access and museums: The Mellon Foundation published Images of
> Works of Art in Museum Collections: The Experience of Open Access A
> Study of 11 Museums.
>
>
> Further reading
>
> There's lots of great digital library information online. Check out
> these neat resources for more library exploring.
>
> The Digital Shift: http://www.thedigitialshift.com
> In the library with the lead pipe:
http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.o=
> rg
> Code4Lib: http://code4lib.org/
> Digital Public Library of America: http://dp.la
>
>
> The Wikipedia Library
>
> partners
> Credo
> HighBeam
> Questia
> JSTOR
> Cochrane
> OCLC
>
> resources
> Reference Desk
> Resource Exchange
> Resource Guides
> Book Sources
> Online archives
>
> wikiprojects
> Libraries
> OA
> Bibliographies
> Books
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> Citation
> Unreferenced
> Fact check
>
> outreach
> Wikipedia Loves Libraries
> GLAM
> WMF Grant
>
> Thanks for reading! To receive a monthly talk page update about new
> issues of Books and Bytes, please add your name to the subscriber's
> list:
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> ter/Recipients
>
> To suggest items for the next issue, please contact the editor, The
> Interior at https://Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Library
/Newsletter/Suggestions.
>
> -Jake Orlowitz (Ocaasi)
> @JakeOrlowitz
> jorlowitz at gmail.com
>
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