Cultural partnerships

Cultural partnerships
Content partnerships — Digital image restorations — Joint events

Cultural partnerships are co-operations between the Wikimedia movement and cultural institutions, such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums, known collectively as GLAMs. There are a wide range of possible projects − from content donations to edit-a-thon events (where Wikipedians and experts work together to improve the projects' coverage of a certain topic), and more.

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  An entertainment in Vauxhall Gardens in c.1779 by Thomas Rowlandson. Digitally restored by Wikimedia volunteers.

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  Scanning a QRpedia code in Birmingham Moor Street Railway Station (QRpedia enables visitors to access information in many more languages

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  An Editathon in Birmingham. Editathons bring together experts, reference material and Wikipedians to improve Wikipedia

Why work with Wikimedia?

Working with Wikipedia can enable you to:

• Present your collections to new audiences
• Increase worldwide engagement with the cultural heritage held by your institution
• Work with a global community of volunteers to share your content online, via the Wikimedia projects

How to work successfully with Wikipedia

Who is working with us?

Cultural institutions we have worked with include:

• Bodleian Libraries, Oxford
• British Library
• British Museum
• Derby Museum and Art Gallery
• Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
• Hypatia Trust
• Khalili Collections
• Museums Galleries Scotland / Glasgow Museums
• National Archives
• Natural History Museum
• National Library of Scotland
• National Library of Wales
• National Maritime Museum
• Royal Society of Chemistry
• Science Museum
• Scottish Libraries and Information Council
• Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
• Wellcome Library

Wikimedia UK's work with the GLAM sector complements its work with learned societies.

If you represent a cultural institution, and are interested in working with Wikimedia UK, please contact our office on 0203 372 0760 or glamwikimedia.org.uk.

Wikimedians in Residence

WIR Programme Review as a PDF

A Wikimedian in Residence is a Wikipedia editor who works in an institution to facilitate a close working relationship between the Wikimedia movement and that institution through a range of activities, including:

• Organising outreach work to encourage understanding and development of Wikimedia projects internally and externally
• Exploring and sharing the institution's digital resources on Wikimedia Commons
• Organising events to create or expand existing articles about notable items or subjects of specific relevance to the collection and the organisation's expertise
• Working with the institution's staff to explain Wikipedia's and its sister projects' practices and how they might be able to contribute. This can be done via events, workshops, producing case studies and documentation of content.
• Helping other Wikimedians to expand and write articles about the institution's collections or area of expertise
• Developing other projects supporting open knowledge in the UK

An overview and background of our Wikimedians in Residence programme is given in the programme review published in 2014.

An in-depth look into the long-term effects of hosting a Wikimedian in Residence can be explored in the publication from 2019 (short version).

Current Wikimedians in Residence

Jason Evans; WiR at the National Library of Wales

The links below include more about current residencies arranged by partnerships including WMUK - including contact details.

• National Library of Wales - full time, January 19 2015 - August 2017. From September 2017 Jason Evans fills a post of a permanent National Wikimedian at NLW.
• University of Edinburgh - Ewan McAndrew since January 11 2016.
• The Wellcome Library - part time, May 2016 - February 2017. From 2nd October 2017, Alice White will be working as the new Web Editor (Knowledge Communities) for Wellcome Collection.
• The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland - Doug Rocks-Macqueen, 1 day p/w January 2019 - December 2020.
• The Khalili Collections/Khalili Foundation - Dr. Martin Poulter, from 13th February 2020, ongoing.
• National Institute for Health Research - Adam Harangozó, full time for six months from 6th December 2021

There are plans for further residencies; if you have any queries please contact the office on 0203 372 0760, or glamwikimedia.org.uk.

Some of the Wikimedians in Residence from around the world at GLAMcamp London in 2012

Past Wikimedians in Residence

Previous residences arranged by partnerships including WMUK include:

• ARKive project, improving Wikipedia's articles on threatened species, in the Summer of 2011
• The University of Bristol Wikimedia Ambassador − 2 months in the Summer of 2011
• Our ongoing collaboration with the British Library included a Wikimedian in Residence for a year in 2012 and 2013. Project page on Wikipedia | Andrew Gray's final report | Section in programme review
• WIR at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums − 3 months part time in 2013. On our Announcement | Project page | Section in programme review
• WIR at the Natural History Museum and Science Museum − 8 months in 2013 and 2014. Announcement | Project page on Wikipedia | Section in programme review | final case study
• Jisc Wikimedia Ambassador − 10 months in 2013 and 2014. Announcement | Project pages on Wikimedia UK | Project blog including final report | Section in programme review
• The Royal Society – 6 months part-time, January−July 2014. WMUK blog | Case study
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol – 6 months full-time, from March 2014 to September 2014. | Case study
• Cancer Research UK - 9 months part time (4/5), until February 2015. WMUK blog. Impact report (Wellcome Trust form filled in), also a wiki based report, adapted here.
• National Library of Scotland − Part time, started July 2013 to March 2015. On our blog | Section in programme review | Case study report after the first 12 months. Impact report looking at the whole length of the residency.
• York Museums Trust – 6 months part-time October 2013-April 2014 - case study report here.

  Extended for a second phase of the project in cooperation with Museums Development Yorkshire, July 2014 - July 2015, part time. Impact report looking at the extension of the residency.

• Royal Society of Chemistry - 12 months part time, until Sept 2015. Blog post. Impact report looking at the whole length of the residency.
• Museums Galleries Scotland - part time, 16 months, January 2015 - 2 June 2016. Impact report
• Bodleian Libraries - part time, one year, April 2015 - March 2016.
• The Hypatia Trust - part time, September 2016 - March 2017.
• Gaelic Wikipedian project at the National Library of Scotland based at the National Library of Scotland - part time, January 2017 - January 2018.
• University of Oxford (based at the Bodleian Libraries) - part time (0.5 FTE), October 2016 - end of July ’19. Impact report from previous residency at the Bodleian.
• Scottish Libraries and Information Council - Sara Thomas (August 2017 to April 2018) succeeded by Delphine Dallison (until March 2019).
• Hypatia Trust - Tehmina Goskar became honourary curator of the Cornish collection in January 2017
• Coventry University - Andy Mabbett 2.5 days p/w, from June 2019 to May 2021

All residencies, including those in which WMUK was not involved, are listed at outreach:Wikipedian in Residence.

Further reading

• An example of the agreement signed by WMUK and GLAMs when arranging a Wikimedia in Residence post
• A suggested job description for a Wikipedian in Residence