Wikipedia:GLAM/National Library of Scotland

Library of Scotland collaborated with Wikimedia to explore providing access to some of the millions of unique sources in the Library's collections. This included appointing Scotland's first Wikimedian-in-Residence Dr Ally Crockford with the support of Wikimedia UK. Ally took up her position in 2013 and worked with the Library until summer 2015.

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Welcome

In summer 2013, the National Library of Scotland (NLS) launched the first ever Wikimedian-in-Residence programme in Scotland, supported by Wikimedia UK. This programme marks the start of what it is hoped will be an ongoing collaboration between the NLS and Wikimedia; the Residency aims to establish a self-sustaining and long-lasting relationship between the Library and the Wikimedia community, and to encourage the growth of the Wikimedia community in Scotland more generally. The Wikimedian-in-Resident will act as a facilitator and catalyst over a period of several months, helping to open up access to NLS collections through Wikimedia projects where appropriate, and to work with Library staff to help incorporate Wikimedia's mission of a free and open knowledge base into future initiatives.

The Residency will focus on achieving these goals through the following:

Events and Workshops

The NLS Wikimedian will organise a series of internal training sessions and edit-a-thons throughout the residency; these will focus on giving staff at the National Library of Scotland the tools and confidence to contribute to Wikipedia articles, and to upload content to both Wikimedia Commons and, ideally, Wikisource.

In addition, a series of outreach events will be organised in conjunction with other GLAM organisations in Edinburgh and Scotland which will aim to broaden the scope of Wikimedia contributions and build stronger links with other institutions. These events will also seek to encourage public engagement with Wikimedia projects in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland - public edit-a-thons will give new users the basic tools to contribute to Wikimedia sites and may provide access to materials which can be used to enhance Wikimedia's knowledge base. Details for all of these events will be updated on our Events and Workshops page.

Content

The National Library of Scotland holds an estimated 17 million items in its collections, including books, manuscripts, photographs and other images, letters, serials, pamphlets and broadsides, maps, and film and sound recordings. Throughout the Residency the NLS Wikimedian will work with librarians and curators to identify items which can be contributed to Wikimedia projects and to develop links between the Library and a growing community of Wikimedians in Scotland. We hope to release content from NLS collections and to work with other local libraries and archives who are interested in contributing to do the same. There will also be a focus on putting in place a frame of mind and the levels of support needed to facilitate the easy release of content in the future.

The Wikimedian-in-Residence programme will also involve encouraging library readers to contribute to Wikimedia projects, and introducing them to the Wikimedia movement as well as to crucial issues of copyright and licensing, Intellectual Property laws, and referencing. Any Library staff or readers who are interested in learning more, or getting involved, are welcome to put themselves forwards as potential participants, or to raise questions or suggestions on our Talk page.

Future Projects

It is hoped that through the events and contributions made possible by the Residency, plans can be put in place for future projects and collaborations between the NLS and other GLAM organisations in Scotland. As the Residency nears closure, the Wikimedian will report on what might be done in the future, and on what projects are currently in place which could continue beyond the programme itself. By tracking statistics related to each event and major contribution, the programme will identify the impact that future collaborations might have on both the NLS and Wikimedia projects.

Information about projected and possible events will be continuously updated, and suggestions are actively welcomed. As the Residency progresses, uploads, edited articles, events, and other new contributions will be posted for those interested.

Reports

National Library of Scotland Wikimedian in Residence 12 Month Report
An extensive report documenting the first 12 months of the residency is now available on Wikimedia Commons.

Throughout the Residency, all monthly reports submitted to the NLS and Wikimedia UK will be posted here to allow those interested to track its progress.

1st Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	8th July - 8th August 2013	8 August 2013	Read full

2nd Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	8th August - 8th September 2013	10 September 2013	Read full

3rd Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	8th September - 8th October 2013	11 October 2013	Read full

4th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	8th October - 8th November 2013	14 November 2013	Read full

5th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	8th November - 8th December 2013	08 December 2013	Read full

7th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	13 January - 13 February 2014	14 February 2014	Read full

8th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	13 February - 13 March 2014	17 March 2014	Read full

Summary Progress Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	Progress report July 2013 - April 2014	8 May 2014	Read full

9th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	14 March 2014 - 14 April 2014	17 April 2014	Read full

10th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	14 April 2014 - 14 May 2014	15 May 2014	Read full

11th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	14 May 2014 - 14 June 2014	13 June 2014	Read full

12th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	14 June 2014 - 29 July 2014	28 July 2014	Read full

Annual Progress Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	Annual report July 2013 - July 2014	29 July 2014	Read full

13th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	08 September 2014 - 08 October 2014	15 October 2014	Read full

14th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	08 October 2014 - 08 November 2014	12 January 2015	Read full

15th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	08 November 2014 - 04 December 2014	12 January 2015	Read full

16th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	12 January 2015 - 12 February 2015	13 February 2015	Read full

17th Month Report
Institution	Resident's Name	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
National Library of Scotland	Ally Crockford	12 February 2015 - 12 March 2015	13 March 2015	Read full

Created materials

Slides, information booklets, and other material created as part of the WiR programme at the National Library of Scotland, from July 2013 onwards.

Wikimedian in Residence Ally Crockford interviewed for the GLAM-Wiki Revolution documentary, July 2014

Press

The search for a Wikimedian-in-Residence at the National Library of Scotland became the focus of a great deal of interest in the mainstream press as well as the blogosphere. The post has generated additional buzz about Wikimedia throughout Scotland, launching a revival of the ScotWiki chapter. To track the growth of this initiative, all press releases, articles, and blog posts about ScotWiki initiatives will be updated regularly.