The British Library hosted a Wikipedian in Residence program funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The program had two goals: to support AHRC researchers and develop content about the British Library. As the Wikipedian in Residence, activities included training workshops for library staff and the public, creating and improving articles using the library's unique digital collections, and engaging in technical work like adding metadata to images. Outreach, capacity building, and producing new open content were key aspects of the residency program.

1. Wikipedia in the Library
Wikipedian in Residence Program
The British Library, 2012-13
Andrew Gray
@generalising // andrew@generalist.org.uk

2. Origins
●
British Museum, 2010
●
Articles about objects; public events
●
Several more residencies worldwide
– mostly museums, “object-focused”

3. British Library
●
Arts & Humanities Research Council funds
●
Two goals:
–Support AHRC researchers
–Develop British Library-related
content

4. Supporting researchers
●
Training and guidance for research projects
●
Using Wikipedia for
– “contextualising” - public understanding
– “disseminating” - distributing content
– “capturing” - recording research
●
Several events and case studies

5. In the Library
●
Outreach & training
●
Digital content
●
Technical work
●
...and communication!

6. Outreach and training
●
Training workshops
– ~100 British Library staff
– ~300 public
●
Public events
– Workshops
– Conference

7. Creating digital content
●
Picturing Canada
4,000 historic photographs
Unique collection
●
Royal Manuscripts
Articles on specific MS
Linked to cataloguing work

8. Picturing Canada

9. Reusing digital content
●
Europeana 1914-18
●
19th
Century Books
Existing projects
Transformative uses
One pamphlet – 6000 words!

10. Technical work
●
Authority control records
●
Image metadata
– Catalogue links & identifiers
– Encouraging best practice

11. Everywhere else
●
Partnerships around Europe
●
Active local communities
●
Get in touch!
outreach.wikimedia.org
glam@wikimedia.org