Wikimedian in residence project

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The Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund was founded on 1 December 2019 to financially support specific Wikimedia Belgium (WMBE) initiatives. In 2023 two projects were completed. In 2025, Wikimedia Belgium 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 31 December 2024.

As a museum, library, heritage cell, archive, research centre or university, you are brimming with enthusiasm about your own collection and operations. And you have been wanting to come out of your ivory tower and share your knowledge with the general public for a long time. Possibly you need professional guidance and a financial backing? Then a Wikimedian in Residence project could be the right answer.

Under the guidance of Wikimedia Belgium, a Wikimedian in Residence project helps you learn how to use media platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikidata or Wikimedia Commons to document a collection and thus reach the general public. A Wikimedian in Residence project is funded by the Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund, recognised by the King Baudouin Foundation. Your own staff can be employed, but new staff (e.g. a BIS job or employment for starters) can also be recruited, and collaborations with Wikipedians are possible.

The maximum amount awarded per project is 7500 €. The project must always have a link to culture or heritage, involve a social or educational aspect and be in line with the objectives of Wikimedia Belgium and the King Baudouin Foundation. Your project will be reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees of the Friends of Wikimedia Belgium Fund.

What you ultimately do is up to you. The project can boost your collection management (e.g. via the creation of a metadata model for Wikidata, export to Wikimedia Commons...) or the relationship with your target audience and with experts (via Wikipedia writing sessions or contacts with colleges and universities...). Similar projects have already been successfully applied by dozens of institutions from all over the world, such as the British Library or the National Archives and the Rijksmuseum Netherlands.

Do you want to take the plunge, under the guidance of Wikimedia experts? Then we expect your institution to submit a project description of up to five A4s, including a budget proposal. Specify who you are and what the goal and planning is for the proposed project. The deadline for submission is 31 December 2024. Project duration: 6 months. Send your application, or any requests for more information, to friends@wikimedia.be.

Wikimedian in Residence

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, the Smithsonian Institution Archives, and the Jenevermuseum in Hasselt. 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

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

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?

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?

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

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/archive/institution)
- 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

Summary of responsibilities
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
King Baudouin Foundation	Payment of invoices

Overview

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)

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

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

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

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

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 7500 €.

Avoidance of conflict of interest

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!

How to cooperate successfully with Wikipedia
Send your request to friends@wikimedia.be
Deadline: 31 December 2024
Implementation: 2025 (6 months preferred)
Maximum 7500 € per project
The institution is free to provide additional fees and budgets.
What do we expect?
- Document: no more than five A4 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