Newsletter September 2025
Make cultural heritage freely accessible
Wikimedia Belgium, Wikimedia France, and Wikimedia Netherlands, together with Open Nederland and meemoo, are launching the international campaign Wiki Loves Public Domain.
From October 1 to December 31, 2025, we invite volunteers, heritage enthusiasts, and anyone with a passion for free knowledge to contribute to Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata.
Why this challenge?
In 2026, the copyright on works by countless writers, artists, and photographers who died in 1955 will expire. By writing biographies and collecting data now, we are ensuring that their lives and work will be immediately visible as soon as they officially enter the public domain.
What can you do?
- 📝 Write or expand biographies of creators (who died in 1955) whose copyright expires in 2026
- 📷 Upload free media to Wikimedia Commons (who died in 1954)
- 🔎 Adding structured data to Wikidata for global discoverability
Why participate?
- 📚 Cultural heritage is preserved and becomes freely accessible
- 🌍 Your contribution reaches millions of readers worldwide
- ✍️ Participating is easy: all you need is a free Wikimedia account
➡️ Join in!
Register today via the official event page.
Together, we ensure that valuable heritage is not only preserved, but can also be freely shared – for everyone, everywhere.
Let's give women a voice on Wikipedia!
On Monday, 9 March 2026, FARO, meemoo, the Bruges Public Library and Wikimedia will once again join forces for a major Wikipedia campaign to mark International Women's Day.
Across Flanders, heritage organisations are organising Wikipedia writing sessions to make stories of inspiring women visible to a wide audience.
Information session for heritage organisations
Would you like to participate as an archive, museum, library or heritage institution, or organise a session yourself? Then join the online information session organised by Bruges Public Library on 13 November, from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., and listen to their inspiring testimony.
During this session, you will gain a clear overview of the following points:
- Why are these writing sessions so important?
- What do you need? From preliminary research to practical tips.
- How do you host a location? How do you join an existing session?
💡 Participation is free, but registration is required.
All information can be found here.
Hasselt's collections shine online
The digital collections of the Fashion Museum and the Jenever Museum in Hasselt have been expanded with a series of beautiful, royalty-free images, on the initiative of the curators.
These new uploads are the result of ongoing collaboration between Wikimedia and the museums in Hasselt, with the aim of making heritage accessible to everyone.
- Jenever Museum: posters, postcards and porcelain cards – a colourful glimpse into the rich history of jenever. View the collection.
- Fashion Museum: elegant clothing accessories and several ensembles from the 18th and 19th centuries – fashion history to enjoy. View the collection.
But uploading is only the first step. To really make these images shine, we need your help.
Link the new photos to relevant Wikipedia articles and bring this unique Hasselt heritage to the attention of a global audience.
Together, we ensure that these gems are not only preserved, but also shared and admired.
How do editors experience the Dutch Wikipedia?
Results of the 2025 Editors Survey
From May 28 to June 15, 2025, 225 active Wikipedians completed an extensive survey about their experiences and ideas. Wikmedia Belgium was also allowed to add a few questions. Below are the most important insights:
- Who does the editing?
Of the editors, 83% are male, 76% are Dutch, and 62% are over 40 years old. However, there has been a slight shift in the age distribution: the 40 to 59 age group has decreased (from 31% to 26%) and the 60+ age group has increased (from 31% to 36%).
- Motivation & work
Sharing knowledge and enjoying writing are the main reasons for contributing to Wikipedia. Most of the time is spent improving existing articles.
- Moderators & Arbitration Committee
Most editors express their appreciation for the efforts of the moderators, but there is concern about their limited numbers, in Flanders as well.
- Use of AI
Most editors do not use AI applications. They are primarily concerned about sources on the one hand and the quality of content on the other.
- Diversity & neutrality
More than a third believe the community is not diverse enough. Only 10% of editors are women and only 3% have a non-Western migration background; one in seven regularly sees 'bias' in articles.
- Work atmosphere
The atmosphere among Wikipedians is generally perceived as helpful and constructive, although more than a quarter of them are considering quitting due to time constraints.
- 📄 Read the full report
- Would you rather read the open answers? You can do so here!
- Questions? Ask them on the talk page.
📚 New features and ease of use on Wikipedia
Want to use Wikipedia even more efficiently? With a few quick settings, you can greatly improve your experience. Handy tip: set them once via Global preferences – then they will apply immediately to all languages and platforms.
1️⃣ Newcomers' homepage
- What is it? An additional menu on your user page (Special:Homepage) with tips, personal statistics, and useful advice.
- Setup: User profile → Editing functions for newcomers → Show newcomer's homepage (activate 2 checkboxes).
- More info
2️⃣ User information card
- What is it? A compact card with key user statistics, visible via an article's history page.
- Setup: Appearance → Advanced settings → Enable user info card (activate 2 checkboxes).
- More info
3️⃣ Global user page
- What is it? A single central user page on Meta, automatically visible on all Wikimedia platforms and in all languages.
- Getting started: Create your user page on Meta.
Bonus: semi-automatic plagiarism check
Add this simple CSS code to your global stylesheet on Meta (log in first) to get an extra plagiarism check option in the history toolbox (now also available on the English Wikipedia!):
#history-toolbox { display: block !important; }
💡 Tip: Start in your Global preferences and take advantage of these new features everywhere!
🚨 The Eperon d’Or Museum must remain open
The Museum, Eperon d'Or in Izegem, the flagship of local and industrial heritage, is threatened with closure on January 1, 2026.
The Flemish and Belgian museum sector has reacted with outrage and is supporting the team with an open letter to the Izegem city council. Recognized museums preserve our collective memory and have a legal and social duty to protect and pass on our heritage. A sudden closure not only jeopardizes the unique collection and its long-term preservation, but also means the loss of the museum team's experience.
👉 Read the open letter and support the call for dialogue.
Agenda
🎉 Wikidata celebrates 13 years!
On October 29, 2025, Wikidata will celebrate its 13th birthday. This Wikimedia Foundation project was launched in 2012 by Wikimedia Germany and has grown to become the central knowledge base for all Wikipedia language versions.
Wikidata organizes data so that it can be reused in articles and applications worldwide—an indispensable link for free and connected knowledge.
👉 Discover how you can contribute
🏛️ International GLAM Wiki 2025 Conference
- When? 30 October – 1 November 2025 (9 a.m.–6 p.m. + evening programme)
- Where? ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal
- Theme: Resilience – Shaping the Future Through Community and Openness
GLAM Wiki 2025 is the meeting place for everyone working in the fields of free knowledge, cultural heritage and open access. Wikimedia Portugal and Wiki Editoras Lx welcome the global GLAM community (Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums) for three days of inspiration, knowledge exchange and networking.
📩 Stay informed: you will find a detailed report of the conference in our October newsletter.
Want to read more? You can do so here!
Wiki Café: Belgian printing works & type foundries
- 📅 Thursday, 2 October 2025
- 📍 Industrial Museum, Minnemeers 10, Ghent
We delve into the world of printing works, type foundries and related fields (typography, typesetting, bookbinding, engraving, etc.). During this writing session, we improve and supplement Wikipedia articles with material from the collections of the Industrial Museum.
Sessions:
- Session 1: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Session 2: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(You can participate in one session, or both sessions 😉)
🌍 Wikimania 2026 – Apply for your personal grant
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Wikimania 2026 will take place in Paris with the theme Freedom, Equity, Reliability. This year, we are celebrating 25 years of Wikipedia and exploring how we can protect free, reliable knowledge in an increasingly polarised world.
Would you like to attend, but need support? Applications for a Wikimania Travel Scholarship are now open.
A grant covers travel, accommodation, registration, daily expenses and limited medical insurance. Anyone who actively contributes to the Wikimedia movement can apply.
Important information:
- Application period: 10 September – 31 October 2025
- Who can apply? Active contributors to Wikimedia projects (e.g. editors, event organisers, developers, stewards, etc.)
- Orientation sessions: Online information sessions will be held in September in French, Spanish, English, and Arabic. Recordings will be available afterwards.
- 📥 Submit your application and find all the details.
WikiconNL 2025 – 22 November, Leiden
Put it in your calendar now!
WikiconNL is the annual conference of Wikimedia Netherlands on Wikipedia, Wikimedia, digital heritage and open knowledge.
Whether you are an experienced Wikipedian, work in an archive, library or museum, conduct research into free knowledge, or are simply curious about the world behind Wikipedia. The conference is sold out, but there is a waiting list!
All useful information at a glance:
- 📅 Saturday, 22 November 2025
- 📍 Wereldmuseum Leiden, Netherlands
- 👉 More information & the waiting list
📸 Last chance: choose your favourite global photo!
The final round of Image of the Year 2024has begun. You may select up to 3 favourites until 11 October.
Are you registered with at least 75 procedures before 1 January 2025? Then now is the time to vote.
Contact us
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+32 471 82 20 26 (voice/sms/Signal/Telegram/WhatsApp)
Enterprise 0563.775.480 – RPR Brussel
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info@wikimedia.be