Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Upskilling academic librarians in Gombe State on Open knowledge practices through Wikimedia projects (ID: 22454581)
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Applicant Details edit
- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Meritkosy
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal edit
- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Upskilling academic librarians in Gombe State on Open knowledge practices through Wikimedia projects
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2024-04-12 - 2024-05-12
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Nigeria
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
1Lib1Ref
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
Open access to knowledge is the bedrock of a thriving society. Librarians stand as essential players in the world of open knowledge who fulfill functions that go far beyond the typical perception of them as the keepers of actual books. They are guardians of information accuracy and accessibility, the advocates of open knowledge access, and bridges connecting communities to the vast repositories of knowledge concealed within library walls and beyond.
In Gombe State, Nigeria, we see a vast potential for librarians to bridge the gap between rich local knowledge and the global reach of Wikimedia projects. However, at the moment, librarians as Wikipedia editors in the state is minimal. This untapped resource represents a missed opportunity to enrich online knowledge with credible, reliable information about Gombe's unique culture, history, and diverse perspectives. We also have books written by notable librarians without information about the books on Wikidata. The training will also help to bridge the content gap on Wikidata about Nigerian library books, which can make it easier for people who need this information to find it.
We had the first Wikimedia awareness and training for librarians at the Federal College of Education Gombe which ignited a spark of curiosity that rippled across the state. Now, librarians from other institutions, eager to follow suit, are clamoring for their own training, keen to follow suit. They are curious to know more about Wikipedia and how they can contribute to the free knowledge.
This project aims to empower librarians to actively participate in Wikimedia projects, hope to increase the amount and caliber of information in certain areas that are pertinent to libraries. By doing this, the current deficiency of library-related content on Wikipedia and its sister projects would be filled, giving users dependable and easily accessible information in crucial areas like education, research etc This will also pave way for integrating Wikipedia and open education resources into schools, showcasing their power to transform teaching and learning
The Training program will equip librarians with essential editing skills, provide dedicated mentorship from experienced Wikimedians, and offer guidance on navigating copyright and licensing issues. It will also prepare the librarians for active participation in the 1lib 1ref coming up in the month of May.
However, this project will unlock the door for librarians to transform from information facilitators into Wikipedia content creators.
The main approaches/strategies are: Creating Awareness: awareness drive will be initiated within the state - librarians, and library students. Recruiting and Training: Librarians will be recruited and trained.
Edit-a-thon: this will enable the recruited and trained participants to put the knowledge acquired to use - hands- on experience.
Tracking: The outreach dashboard will be used to track and monitor participant’s edits. Top 6 editors will be rewarded.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
Upskilling academic librarians in Gombe State on open knowledge practices through Wikimedia projects will run for a period of one month with the following activities:
Awareness and recruitment: awareness will be made at academic libraries across Gombe State, introducing librarians and library students to Wikipedia and its potential for free knowledge sharing (partnering with Gombe State library association for access). Local media channels will be utilized to spread awareness about the program. There will be an platform for interested librarians and students to register for the training program.
Training:
The project will be a hybrid session. 3 online trainings and 2 in-person training . Training Workshops to be facilitated by experienced wikimedians and involves offering practical training on: Wikipedia editing basics (account creation, core policies, general editing principles) , Minor edits, Expanding articles on Gombe State, libraries, and librarians in Nigeria creating articles using article creation wizard or sandbox, use of citation hunt etc. Wikidata basics: running queries to identify data gaps, creating and improving items on libraries, associations, and notable librarians in Nigeria, use of quick statement, uploading photos to wikimedia commons. different licences for wikimedia commons etc.
Following the workshop, there will be two series of online reinforcement training and guides for self-paced learning. The online training will help to enhance the participants editing skills and address challenges that they may be having.
Onboarding Session: The participants will be onboarded on the Day 1, which will be an online event. In-person training: Over the course of two days, participants will receive hands-on training from experienced facilitators. online Training: The project will host two online training programs to improve the participant's editing skills on Wikipedia, wikidata and Wikimedia commons.
Edit a thon/ community engagement: Edit-a-thons on specific topics related to Gombe State, libraries, and local knowledge. Monitoring & Support: Outreach Dashboard will be used to track editors' contributions and engagement.
Wrap-up and Recognition: We will celebrate achievements, answer questions, award certificates, special recognition and award of gift vouchers to top six contributors. We will keep the learning and collaboration going in our dedicated WhatsApp group for ongoing support and editing fun.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
1. Meritkosy is the project lead and a fellow of the Wikipedia in African Libraries(WikiAfLIB) and the program manager of the Wikimedia Gombe Network. She is a had participanted in several AfLIA led Wiki training for African librarians - Basics of Wikipedia Editing Learning Circle, African Librarians Week, 1Lib1Ref - Wiki Loves Libraries Nigeria, African Youth Month 2022 Wikidata Training. She is the project lead for wikimedia awareness and training in Federal College of Education, Gombe.
2. African librarian is an experienced Wikimedian and trainer who has led over 20 Wikimedia training and taught over 2000 editors. Presently, she works with AfLIA (African Library and Information Associations and Institutions) with headquarters in Accra, Ghana as the Director, Human Capacity and Training. She is an ardent advocate for open knowledge as a pathway for inclusivity and boosting innovative solutions to development challenges that bedevil Africa. She has been the project lead for AfLIA’s projects with OER Africa, NBA South Africa, Book Aid International and Wikimedia Foundation. In 2022, she won the global award of the Wikimedian of the Year 2022, (Newcomer category). She will be available to facilitate online for the training and keynote speaker.
3. Bukky658: She is the Founder/Lead, Wikimedia Fan Club, Kwara State University, Founder Wiki Loves Libraries Nigeria. Wikipedia & Education User Group Member, Wikimedia User Group Nigeria. She will be an online facilitator.
4. Atibrarian is an experienced wikimedian, a fellow of the Wikipedia in African Libraries (WikiAfLIB), and a certified trainer of the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program. He will available to facilitate a session on how to create an article from scratch, improving an existing articles.
5. User: Omorodion1 (Volunteer Facilitator): User Omorodion1 is an experienced Librarian, Wikimedian and Co-founder of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub. He has organized and facilitated several Wikimedia events in Nigeria and beyond. He participated in the maiden Organizer Lab course by the Wikimedia Foundation. He will be an online facilitator.
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
The target participants are academic librarians and library students in Gombe state. The participants will be engaged through follow-up during and after activities, and a WhatsApp group will be created specifically for prompt communication. To ensure continuity, sustainability and continuous development of its members capacity. This program targets 50 participants.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
Yes
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
We will start each event with a quick overview of Wikimedia Friendly Space Policy, ensuring a safe and respectful environment for everyone.
The youth safety policy will be summarised and read:
People of age 14 or younger will not be allowed register for the training .
3. Mature content such as violent or sexually explicit imagery will not be displayed in public areas of the venue. 4. I will make the copies of the youth safety plan available for event attendees. 5. I will ensure the physical events comply with all local laws and regulations that apply to the young attendees.
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
I have informed the Wikimedia Nigeria User Group through their meta page
The link can be found here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria#Upskilling_academic_librarians_in_Gombe_State_on_Open_knowledge_practices_through_Wikimedia_projects.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning and metrics edit
- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
Did the project recruit new editors? Did the project equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to Wikimedia projects? Did the project meet the participants' expectations in terms of knowledge and skills they gained through the project? Did the participants contribute contents to Wikipedia and it's sisters' projects ? Did the project successfully foster a sustainable community of active Wikimedia editors among the participants?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 55 | All the people involved in the project including the participants and organizers |
| Number of editors | 50 | This includes both new editors, that will create new accounts and will be monitored. Also Returning Editors, who already have their accounts and will be further trained. |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 1. Meritkosy is the project lead and a fellow of the Wikipedia in African Libraries(WikiAfLIB) and the program manager of the Wikimedia Gombe Network. She is a had participanted in several AfLIA led Wiki training for African librarians - Basics of Wikipedia Editing Learning Circle, African Librarians Week, 1Lib1Ref - Wiki Loves Libraries Nigeria, African Youth Month 2022 Wikidata Training. She is the project lead for wikimedia awareness and training in Federal College of Education, Gombe.
2. African librarian is an experienced Wikimedian and trainer who has led over 20 Wikimedia training and taught over 2000 editors. Presently, she works with AfLIA (African Library and Information Associations and Institutions) with headquarters in Accra, Ghana as the Director, Human Capacity and Training. She is an ardent advocate for open knowledge as a pathway for inclusivity and boosting innovative solutions to development challenges that bedevil Africa. She has been the project lead for AfLIA’s projects with OER Africa, NBA South Africa, Book Aid International and Wikimedia Foundation. In 2022, she won the global award of the Wikimedian of the Year 2022, (Newcomer category). She will be available to facilitate online for the training and keynote speaker.
4. Atibrarian is an experienced wikimedian, a fellow of the Wikipedia in African Libraries (WikiAfLIB), and a certified trainer of the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program. He will be available to facilitate a session on how to create an article from scratch, improving an existing article. 5. User: Omorodion1 (Volunteer Facilitator): User Omorodion1 is an experienced Librarian, Wikimedian and Co-founder of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub. He has organized and facilitated several Wikimedia events in Nigeria and beyond. He participated in the maiden Organizer Lab course by the Wikimedia Foundation. He will be an online facilitator. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 50 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 200 |
| Wikidata | 150 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
No
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
I will create an outreach dashboard where we will monitor the participants activities. It will also be used to measure some project metrics such as number of participants, number of articles created/improved, number of references added to articles, article views amongst others.
Financial proposal edit
- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
1684500 NGN
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
1894.01 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback edit
Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).