Wikibase in Nigerian Libraries/Phase Two - Pilot Project

Wikibase in Nigerian Libraries

• Overview
• Phase One
• Phase Two - Pilot Project
• Partnership and Implementation team
• Participants and Wikibase Instances Created
• In-person Workshop Program of Activities
• Resources and Videos
• Project Reporting

BACKGROUND

The phase two of the Wikibase in Nigerian Libraries Project will focus on a Pilot Wikibase project at Samson Adedoyin Library, otherwise known as Glorious Vision University Library in Nigeria. The aim of the pilot project is to create an in-depth understanding of Linked Open Data and Wikibase among Nigerian Librarians. The pilot programme will also include the creation of a Wikibase.Cloud account for the library, and also linking of at least 500 bibliographic records from the library to Wikidata/Wikibase. To achieve this, there will be several online and in-person training on Wikidata and Wikibase to help build the capacity of Nigerian librarians.

KEY ACTIVITIES

As part of the strategy identified for this project, the following key activities will be carried out:

1. Wikidata/Wikibase Virtual Workshops: We will organize virtual sessions for librarians at Glorious Vision University Library. This Workshop will include an introduction to Wikibase and linked open data; Importing data into Wikibase instance via QuickStatements; Linking Wikibase items to Wikidata/Querying data- SPARQL; maintaining items in Wikibase etc.

The schedule for the virtual sessions is given as follows:

Virtual Training	Topic Coverage + Activity	Facilitator	Date and Duration	Link to recording
Virtual Session 1	Introduction to Wikibase and Linked Open Data for Librarians	User: Christos Varvantakis (WMDE)	Tuesday, 11th July, 2023 @ 12noon WAT (2hours)	TBD
Virtual Session 2	Importing data into your Wikibase instance via QuickStatements	User: Alan Ang (WMDE)	Tuesday, 18th July, 2023 @ 11am WAT (2hours)	TBD
Virtual Session 3	Linking your Wikibase items to Wikidata/Querying data- SPARQL	TBD	Tuesday, 25th July, 2023 @ 11am WAT (2hours)	TBD
Virtual Session 4	Maintain the items in your Wikibase/Practical sessions to populate the official library Wikibase instance	TBD	Tuesday, 1st August, 2023 @ 11am WAT (2hours)	TBD

2. Creation of Wikibase Instance Account for Glorious Vision University Library: This project will include the creation of a Wikibase account for Glorious Vision University Library which will facilitate the linking of bibliographic records from the library to the Wikidata/Wikibase environment

3. Data-a-thon: The project will include a data-a-thon where at least 500 bibliographic records of the library will be created on Wikidata/Wikibase so as to link library data from Nigeria to global knowledge base. This task will be undertaken by only a selected librarians who would have acquired the needed skills to carry out batch upload of bibliographic records using Wikidata QuickStatements.

4. In-person Wikidata/Wikibase Workshop for Selected Librarians in Nigeria: This will include a 2-day in-person workshop for 30 selected librarians from different libraries, so they can learn the practical steps to building linked open data in Wikidata/Wikibase environment. The librarians will be selected based on their availability, interest in learning linked open data within the Wikidata/Wikibase environment and readiness to implement it in their libraries. This workshop is expected to build on knowledge gained during the introductory virtual seminar held in October 2022. The selected Librarians will equally gain hands-on cataloging experience in a linked data–friendly environment, understand how this work mirrors or diverges from current authority and cataloging workflows, understand how linked data relationships between entities might affect search, retrieval, and discovery, learn about working with Wikidata properties in a Wikibase environment, envision how linked data could be integrated with other components of existing metadata environments.

Evaluation and Reporting (1st - 30th August 2023)

• Finish inputting evaluation questions to Google Form
• Final Interview and Data Collation Preparation
• Launch of Online Post-Survey (email and promotion during the graduation ceremony)
• Scheduling and conducting interviews with participants
• Compile and organize interview results.
• Generate and analyze post-survey data for processing.
• Compile and organize post-survey and interview results.
• Preparation of project reports from 1st August 2023.