Wikimedia DACH/Museum Day 2019

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International Museum Day 2019


CALL TO IMPROVE THE PRESENCE OF

MUSEUMS ON WIKIPEDIA


This year's International Museum Day will take place under the motto "Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition". In the DACH region it will take place on Sunday May 19, 2019. Many museums in Switzerland, Germany and Austria will open their doors and discuss the topic with their visitors.



"The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness of the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”


On the occasion of this event, the three Wikimedia Chapters Wikimedia Switzerland (WMCH), Wikimedia Austria (WMAT) and Wikimedia Germany (WMDE) are taking action together.

In keeping with the Museums Day and this year's focus, we invite you to help us completing and improving the presence of museums on Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata.

Thank you for participating!

If you are interested in WMCH's analytical context on the presence of Swiss Museums on Wikipedia, you can consult our last year's project page International Museum Day 2018.

Museums as Cultural Hubs - the Future of Tradition

International Museum Day 2019 will focus on the new roles of museums as active actors in their communities.

What does this mean exactly?

  • While preserving their primary missions - collecting, conservation, communication, research, exhibition - museums have transformed their practices to remain closer to the communities they serve.
  • Today they look for innovative ways to tackle contemporary social issues and conflict. By acting locally, museums can also advocate and mitigate global problems, striving to meet the challenges of today's society proactively.
  • As institutions at the heart of society, museums have the power to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to define a sustainable future.

As museums increasingly grow into their roles as cultural hubs, they are also finding new ways to honour their collections, their histories and their legacies, creating traditions that will have new meaning for future generations and relevance for an increasingly diverse contemporary audience at a global level.

Geographic Museums Map linked to Wikimedia Content

The following geographic map locates the Museums in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, based on Wikidata records. If you want to know which museums already have a Wikipedia article and which do not, as well as the respective quality of the article, you can find out by using the link to the interactive map below. Have fun exploring! If you want to visit a museum, and you do not know which museums are participating on the International Museums Day, click [1] for Switzerland.

If you are a Wikidata specialist, help us to inject meta data into Wikidata to complete the geographical visualization on museums in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Geographic Museums Map
How to read the interactive map:
  • Black symbols: no Wikipedia article
  • Red symbols: one Wikipedia article
  • Orange symbols: at least two Wikipedia articles
  • Green symbols: four Wikipedia articles

Participate & make a Difference

in Switzerland

For Wikipedia contributors and anyone who wants to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects

We will be present at the following two locations during the International Museum Day 2019:
"Red arrow" RAe 4/8 1021, nicknamed "Churchill-Pfeil", at Rapperswil.
SBB Historic Train Depot in Olten
  • SBB Historic, will organize several tours in small groups of max. 12 participants during the day, visiting historical trains. The detailed program will be published on the SBB Historic Website.
  • If you want to participate, you have to register directly with SBB Historic per mail (info(_AT_)sbbhistoric.ch)
  • Location: SBB Historic, Depotweg 76, 4600 Olten


Aerial view of the Natural history museum of Geneva
Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Genève
  • Wikimedia will also be present at the Museum d'histoire naturelle of Geneva
  • Guided tour for Wikimedia projects from 2PM to 5PM
  • Visitors will be able to take photographs of the museum's collection
  • To participate, please contact flor.mechain(_AT_)wikimedia.ch by May, 16th at the latest.
  • Depending on participation, a basic Commons workshop may be organized after the visit.

We hope to welcome you on one of these events!


Contact us

Every contribution counts: improving or completing an existing article, creating a completely new one, or uploading images to Wikimedia Commons. You want to contribute to Wikipedia or to Wikimedia Commons, but you cannot participate in one of our events on May 19, 2019 or you are not sure how? In this case we invite you to one of our editing workshops. Write us an email:

  • ulrich.lantermann(_AT_)wikimedia.ch (German-speaking Switzerland)
  • flor.mechain(_AT_)wikimedia.ch (French-speaking Switzerland)
  • ilario.valdelli(_AT_)wikimedia.ch (Italian-speaking Switzerland)


For Museums and cultural organizations

If the cultural organization you work for is interested in working on its presence on Wikipedia or, as a professional, you would like to learn more about Wikimedia Association and our projects in collaboration with cultural institutions, please contact us

  • debora.lopomo(_AT_)wikimedia.ch / Partnership and Program Manager for Cultural Institutions on a national level


Press

If you like to write about the Museum Day or Wikmedia Associaction and / or have questions, then contact our Communication Manager, Mr. Andy Treichler, atreichler(_AT_)wikimedia.ch.


in Germany

For Wikipedia contributors and anyone who wants to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects

There are many ways to get involved. More informations are available on the GLAM pages.

All people can contribute by improving and expanding existing articles in Wikipedia about museums or by creating articles that are not yet available on museums. Pictures of museums can be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons in compliance with the legal framework. Pictures of museums are always welcome when taken from publicly accessible places. If you want to take and upload pictures from inside a museum, please take into account the museum’s rules about photography and possible copyright restrictions concerning artworks. The recording of pictures in the interiors of museum buildings must be coordinated with the museum on site. We gladly support you and establish contact with the responsible employees. In addition, Wikidata is another way of participation, here data elements can be improved or created. If you have any questions, please contact

  • kultur(_AT_)wikimedia.de
For Museums and cultural organizations

If your institution is interested in cooperating with the volunteers from the Wikimedia projects or if you would like to provide content yourself, please contact us at

  • kultur(_AT_)wikimedia.de
Press

If you like to write about the Museum Day or Wikimedia Association and / or have questions, please contact us via

  • presse(_AT_)wikimedia.de


in Austria

For Wikipedia contributors and anyone who wants to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects

There are many ways how you can contribute to free knowledge about museums in Austria:

  • Create or improve articles about museums: on Wikipedia and – especially when writing about museums of a more local importance – on RegiowikiAT.
  • Upload photos of museums to Wikimedia Commons: Pictures of museums are always welcome when taken from publicly accessible places. If you want to take and upload pictures from inside a museum, please take into account the museum’s rules about photography and possible copyright restrictions concerning artworks. You can also try wikidaheim.at in order to identify missing photos of buildings and other objects.
  • Create or improve data items about museums on Wikidata: On 30 April 2019 we also do this together during WikiDienstag in Vienna.


For Museums and cultural organizations

The Wikipedia community in Vienna provides a monthly in-person consultation for all kinds of questions about Wikipedia editing.

  • Dates in May and June: 7 May 2019, 6–8 pm + 4 June 2019, 6–8 pm
more information in German

If the cultural organization you work for is interested in collaborating with Wikimedia Austria, e.g. within the Wikipedianische KulTour scheme, please contact us via

  • info(_AT_)wikimedia.at


Press

If you like to write about the Museum Day or Wikimedia Association and / or have questions, please contact us via

  • presse(_AT_)wikimedia.at