Grants:Project/UG GLAM Macedonia/Wikipedian in Residence/Midpoint

This project is funded by a Project Grant

proposal

people

timeline & progress

midpoint report

final report

Report accepted

This midpoint report for a Project Grant approved in FY 2016-17 has been reviewed and accepted by the Wikimedia Foundation.

• To read the approved grant submission describing the plan for this project, please visit Grants:Project/UG GLAM Macedonia/Wikipedian in Residence.
• You may still review or add to the discussion about this report on its talk page.
• You are welcome to email projectgrantswikimedia.org at any time if you have questions or concerns about this report.

Welcome to this project's midpoint report! This report shares progress and learning from the grantee's first 3 months.

Summary

User:GjorgjiP, WiR at the State Archives.

User:Gordi, WiR at the City Library.

In a few short sentences or bullet points, give the main highlights of what happened with your project so far.

This period was very productive for both Wikipedians in Residence. They accomplished all tasks that were planned in the projects and we can proudly state that they both did more than it was planned or stated in the proposals and agreements. Bellow are short summaries of the finished activities of both Wikipedians in Residence for the given period of time.

• Uploaded total 162 files on Commons, of which certain number are pdf files containing larger number of pages, thus reaching total 261 (combining the single-page documents, images and pages of the pdf files) files worked out and uploaded on Commons;
• Decreased the content gap of two areas, (1) Republic of Macedonia in the World War II, where 66 new files were uploaded; (2) Dimitar Vlahov, where 13 new files were uploaded;
• Created 16 new categories;
• Organised and held several workshops for training new users on: how to upload files on Commons; how to categorise new files; how to add references in existing articles; how to use Wikipedia.
• Organised three edit-a-thons, where 20 people took part in;
• 32 new articles were created;
• 6 existing articles were edited;
• Added 301 totally new references in the articles on Wikipedia in Macedonian;
• Held one Wiki-Tour in the City Library where students were shown and introduced with Library and the employees;
• Trained 8 new users to use and edit on Wikipedia, including how to add references and images.

Methods and activities

How have you setup your project, and what work has been completed so far?

Describe how you've setup your experiment or pilot, sharing your key focuses so far and including links to any background research or past learning that has guided your decisions. List and describe the activities you've undertaken as part of your project to this point.

Our activities are listed below:

• GLAM Macedonia prepared and signed Agreements with the two selected Wikipedians in Residence. The document contains tasks for the WiRs, and what is expected from them in the time of the three months.
• Template was created for use on Commons
• Weekly diaries were created, which WiRs filled them with weekly activities
  • Wikipedian in residence at Library, GLAM Macedonia, Diary -
  • Wikipedian in residence at DARM, GLAM Macedonia, Diary
• Working hours were set: from 11 AM till 4 PM
• WiRs at the Archive and at the City Library have a desk, Internet connection and GLAM employee who helped them
• All uploaded photos and documents are in the category: Wikipedian_in_Residence_at_DARM_2017
• In GLAM Newsletter about the edit-a-thon, August 2017
• In GLAM Newsletter, June 2017
• In media about Wikipedian tour at the City Library
• In GLAM Newsletter, September 2017

Midpoint outcomes

What are the results of your project or any experiments you’ve worked on so far?

Please discuss anything you have created or changed (organized, built, grown, etc) as a result of your project to date.

WiR at the State Archives of the Republic of Macedonia

During the period of three months, starting from June, the Wikipedian-in-Residence assigned for this position, accomplished the following:

• The total number of uploaded files on Commons for the given period is 162 files, of which certain number are pdf files containing several page. Having in mind that fact, the total number of unit files (pages of the pdf documents, pictures and single-page documents combined) worked on and uploaded on Commons is 261. All uploaded documents are properly categorised and bilingually (i.e. English and Macedonian) described.
• As a direct consequence of the work and the upload of the files, the content gap of two areas was improved. First, the content gap regarding 'Republic of Macedonia in the WW II and the Partisans' was decreased, having been uploaded 66 new files our of (now) total 141 files in the main category (the previous total number being 75). Second, the content gap regarding Dimitar Vlahov was also decreased, having been uploaded 13 new files of (now) total 22 files in the main category (the previous total number was 9).
• The total number of newly opened categories is 16. As a consequence of that, all files were categorised appropriately.
• A workshop for using and uploading files on Commons was successfully held with the Archives'employees. The employees were taught how to use Commons, how to upload new files and how to categorise the newly uploaded files. The total number of participants in the Workshop was 4.
• At the end of this first period, an edit-a-thon was successfully held. The total number of participants in the edit-a-thon was 6. The total number of created articles was 10.
• 3 new users were trained to edit Wikipedia.

• 
  Workshop for using Commons and uploading new files.
• 
  Example of uploaded file with 9 pages.
• 
  Example of uploaded file with 40 pages.
• 
  Example of uploaded file with 23 pages.

WiR at the City Library 'Braḱa Miladinovci'

During the period of three months, the WiR at the City Library 'Braḱa Miladinovci' accomplished the following:

• The total number of added new references in the articles on the Macedonian Wikipedia is 301.
• A successful Wiki-tour was held in June. A group of students was introduced with the Library Departments and were introduced with the information of how to use the City Library for their needs. Moreover, the students were introduced to the employees and were informed on how to use the Library for their future engagements.
• A workshop was held with the group of students that took part in the Wiki-tour. This was the first edit-a-thon organised by the Wikipedian in Residence. The students had the chance to prepare and add text to articles on the Macedonian Wikipedia. They used the books available in the Library. In addition, the students were trained how to add references in the articles on Wikipedia.
• At the end of the period a successful, second, edit-a-thon was held. The number of participants that took part in the edit-a-thon was 9, of which 3 were trained by the WiR at the City Library. The total number of new articles created on this event was 12.
• The WiR trained 5 new users to edit on Wikipedia and they have created 22 new articles, and 6 existing articles were edited with text.

• 
  The working area of the WiT at the City Library.
• 
  Wiki Tour at the City Library.
• 
  Workshop for editing on Wikipedia.
• 
  Training new users on Wikipedia.

Finances

Please take some time to update the table in your project finances page. Check that you’ve listed all approved and actual expenditures as instructed. If there are differences between the planned and actual use of funds, please use the column provided there to explain them.

Then, answer the following question here: Have you spent your funds according to plan so far? Please briefly describe any major changes to budget or expenditures that you anticipate for the second half of your project.

• The funds were spent according to plan, and no changes were made for the first installment.

Number	Category	Item description	Unit	Number of units	Cost per unit	Total cost	Currency	Notes
1	Wikipedian in Residence at the Library	compensate	1 month	3	500	1500	EUR	The compensation, including VAT and all taxes one has to pay monthly
2	Wikipedian in Residence at the Archives	compensate	1 month	3	500	1500	EUR	The compensation, including VAT and all taxes one has to pay monthly
3	Total amount					3000	EUR

Learning

The best thing about trying something new is that you learn from it. We want to follow in your footsteps and learn along with you, and we want to know that you are taking enough risks to learn something really interesting! Please use the below sections to describe what is working and what you plan to change for the second half of your project.

What are the challenges

What challenges or obstacles have you encountered? What will you do differently going forward? Please list these as short bullet points.

Generally speaking the Wikipedians in Residence had good and productive time in the Institutions they were assigned at. However, they met some difficulties and obstacles while they were doing their jobs, but they were mostly out of their sphere of influence. The difficulties/ obstacles they met with are the following:

Both Wikipedians in Residence were temporarily stopped from doing their jobs because of the heath wave that stroke Macedonia. The (Library's) edit-a-thon was once cancelled and rescheduled for another date. In addition to this, the Wikipedian in Residence at the State's Arvchives had technical problems with the scanner that is used for scanning the documents in the Archives. It took some days to fix the scanner and after that the WiR continued his normal duties.

The process of digitising the documents, cropping and preparing them for uploading on Commons is also time-consuming one, so it can be mentioned as one of the obstacles that one WiR can be faced up with. Other than the already mentioned ones, the WiR did not have any obstacles or problems of any kind.

What is working well

What have you found works best so far? To help spread successful strategies so that they can be of use to others in the movement, rather than writing lots of text here, we'd like you to share your finding in the form of a link to a learning pattern.

In general, both Wikipedians had good and productive three months. The best thing so far was the collaboration with the employees of both Institutions. The employees of both, the State Archives and City Library, provided the necessary help for easier and successful accomplishment of the Wikipedian's tasks. They shown great interest in Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects and did not hesitate to provide both Wikipedians with the needed materials. Some of the empployees showed interest and willingness to be part of Wikipedia and Commons (as contributors) and they took part in the edit-a-thons and workshops held by the Wikipedians. On the other side, it is worth mentioning the fact that the new management of both Institutions also showed great interest and willingness to further collaborate and expand the collaboration with the Wikipedians and GLAM. At the end, the help and experience of the previous Wikipedians in Residence and the other GLAM members proved to be very useful and helpful in accomplishing the given tasks and goals.

• Your learning pattern link goes here

Next steps and opportunities

What are the next steps and opportunities you’ll be focusing on for the second half of your project? Please list these as short bullet points. If you're considering applying for a 6-month renewal of this grant at the end of your project, please also mention this here.

Regarding the Wikipedian in Residence at the State Archives, he is on the middle of the project. He successfully finished the first three months of the project and new three months are awaiting him. In the second half of the project, the WiR at the State Archives: has to reach the given goals (uploading 500 files), has to organise another edit-a-thon, has to organise Wiki-Tour in the State Archives and has to do DARM challenge. Moreover it is expected to keep the good working atmosphere with the employees and keep them further motivated to take part in Wikimedia projects.

The Wikipedian in Residence at the Ciy Library has finished her project. Her three-month project was highly successful and because of that we are planning for renewal of the project starting from January 2018. Until then she is going to keep in touch with the Library's employees and she will be open to work with them and help or assist them anytime regarding Wikipedia and related Wikimedia projects. The employees have all the contacts (phones, emails, Wiikipedia accounts) necessary to do so and it is expected the same excellent collaboration to be continued in near future.

Grantee reflection

We’d love to hear any thoughts you have on how the experience of being an grantee has been so far. What is one thing that surprised you, or that you particularly enjoyed from the past 3 months?