Wikimedian in residence project
| Language: | English • français • Nederlands |
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The Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund was founded on 1 December 2019 to financially support specific Wikimedia Belgium initiatives. In the second half of 2022, Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE) wants to support three projects originating from a cultural institution. Here we want to support a Wikimedian in Residence to realise such a project. Project proposals can be submitted at the latest on 30 April 2022.
Wikimedian in Residence[edit]
A Wikimedian in Residence is a project in a museum, library, heritage cell, archive, research centre or university where one or more staff members (possibly part-time) are employed to develop a project documenting a collection on Wikimedia platforms and providing guidance to museum staff and the public on how to use Wikimedia platforms. These projects typically run in collaboration with the national Wikimedia association. Wikipedians are free to contribute to this project independently, while respecting its aims. Often such projects are also called Wikipedians in Residence.
Similar projects have been successfully implemented by dozens of institutions around the world, including the British Library, the British Museum, the Royal Library of the Netherlands, the National Archives and Rijksmuseum Netherlands, the Museum of Versailles, the Swiss National Library, and the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Often they work on a specific theme related to the scope of the organisation. Wikimedia Belgium also wants to set up such a project.
Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund[edit]
Wikimedia Belgium aims to provide access to free knowledge through the Wikimedia platforms for the benefit of cultural institutions and the general public. We want to encourage the public to make donations to make these projects possible.
The Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund was founded to financially support Belgian Wikimedia initiatives of cultural institutions through tax-friendly donations. The King Baudouin Foundation recognised the Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund on 1 December 2019. Since then, donations have been collected and tax certificates issued. Donations come from individuals, companies and institutions. The Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund has no legal personality. It is part of the King Baudouin Foundation and is managed by an Executive Committee.
Possible projects[edit]
Since 2021 Wikimedia Belgium is looking for institutions that want to submit a project to benefit from this support. It is possible to employ someone in the context of e.g. a BIS job, or other employment for starters. It is also possible to work with permanently employed workers. A possible project is to document part of the museum's collection management system on Wikidata and related Wikimedia platforms, digitising archives, releasing media files on Wikimedia Commons, or training staff members in Wikipedia.
The project must always be related to culture or heritage, have a social or educational aspect and be aligned with the objectives of Wikimedia Belgium and of the King Baudouin Foundation. The institution may thus be a museum, library, heritage cell, archive, research centre or university.
The institution must take care of the set-up and follow-up of the project, of the administrative support of the person involved (contract, personnel file, social and fiscal administration, work regulations, insurance, office, tools) and of the content and financial reporting.
The Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund provides part of the financial contribution, after approval of the project by the management committee. The King Baudouin Foundation pays the invoices, after delivery and validation.
Wikimedia Belgium will provide assistance for the project and give advice on how to use the Wikimedia platforms. It can also enlist the help of third parties for this purpose.
What?[edit]
- A Wikimedian in Residence project includes the following:
- A person can be paid to train and guide GLAM staff in the use of the Wikimedia platforms and tools to document the GLAM catalogue/material.
- Other project costs may also be reimbursed
- Ultimate goal: Upload images to Wikimedia Commons, register data on Wikidata, write articles on Wikipedia
- Small projects with a cultural, educational, heritage and/or social purpose
- Partially funded by the Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund
- Project linked to the Wikimedia platforms
Why?[edit]
- To be able to use human resources
- human resources at heritage institutions are limited
- Wikimedia Belgium does not have its own staff
- deliver projects that are larger than edit-a-thons
- the possibility of doing more than one-off projects (period of 6 months)
- have more impact
- improved cooperation between institutions and the Wikimedia community
- encouraging heritage institutions and museums to collaborate with Wikimedia
- Sharing museum catalogues
- Making museum collections known to the public
- expanding and sustaining the Wikimedia community in Belgium
Possible assignments[edit]
- Collection management: creating a metadata model for Wikidata:
- Defining data elements that can be exported from the collection management system (based on the rights of the museum)
- Identifying the corresponding Wikidata properties
- Building the data model
- Checking how other museums have done similar projects (Royal Library of the Netherlands, National Archives and Rijksmuseum of the Netherlands)
- Preparing the collection management system for the export.
- Checking which items are already in Wikidata.
- Export/import from collection management system to Wikidata, possibly Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia.
- Linking the three systems together
- Helping to organise and guiding Wikipedia writing sessions.
- Developing the strategy together with the institution.
- Documenting the procedure followed.
- Communication to the outside world.
- Involving schools or universities?
Partners and responsibilities[edit]
| Partner | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Institution | Submission of the project application |
| Project setup and daily follow-up | |
| Personnel administration | |
| Selection of staff | |
| Project and financial reporting | |
| Fund Management Committee Friends of Wikimedia Belgium |
Approval of the project |
| Institution, meemoo, WMBE, third parties | General counselling |
| King Baudouin Foundation | Approval of the financial reporting |
| Payment of invoices |
Overview[edit]
- Wikimedia Belgium: initiator
- Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund: Financing
- King Baudouin Foundation: administration of the project grant
- Cultural institutions: implementation and reporting
- Wikimedia community: Collaboration
Responsibilities Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE)[edit]
- Project initiator
- Creation of fundraising campaigns (website, banner, newsletter)
- Contacting cultural institutions
- Providing information about the project requirements
- Giving advice on Wikimedia platforms (conventions, documentation, tools)
- Seeking technical cooperation with third parties (meemoo, other museums, WMNL, WMFR, Wikipedians with experience)
- Intermediary to the larger Wikimedia community
Responsibilities Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund[edit]
- Committee requested by Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE)
- Recognised by, and part of, the King Baudouin Foundation (KBS).
- Evaluating and selecting the projects
- Determining the budgets
- Approval of the projects
King Baudouin Foundation's responsibilities[edit]
- Carrying out the administration
- Drawing up the contracts between the parties
- Accepting donations from citizens and companies
- Tax administration
- Issuing income tax certificates to donors (citizens and companies)
- Accepting the projects
- Validating the invoices
- Payment of project invoices
- Financial reports
Responsibilities of the cultural institution[edit]
- Conception of the project
- Project application
- Personnel administration
- Payment of salaries and other personnel costs
- Social security, income tax, etc.
- Insurance of the WiR
- Provision of working space
- Equipment (laptop, scanner)
- Daily monitoring of the progress of the project
- Delivering the objectives, reporting
- Invoicing (to the KBS)
Conditions[edit]
- The project cannot already be funded by the King Baudouin Foundation.
- The project must comply with the conventions of the Wikimedia platforms.
- Upload items to Wikidata that are of general interest (not: e.g. that a printed book by an author is available in the library => this information stays in the library system)
- Yes: register that an original pencil drawing is available in the collection or the archive.
- The project is supported for a maximum amount of 5500 €.
Avoidance of conflict of interest[edit]
The regular operation of Wikimedia Belgium is not part of a project of the Fund. The executive committee of the Fund and Wikimedia Belgium are independent entities.
Call for projects![edit]
- How to cooperate successfully with Wikipedia
- Send your request to projects@wikimedia.be
- Deadline: 30th of April 2022
- Implementation: second half of 2022 (6 months preferred)
- Maximum 5500 € per project
- The institution is free to provide additional fees and budgets.
- What do we expect?
- Document: no more than 6 pages (preferably PDF)
- content:
- what is the project?
- why do you propose the project?
- what cultural, educational, social results can be expected?
- administration:
- who is responsible?
- where will it be organised?
- who will provide support?
- what resources are available?
- planning of the project
- budget