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Wikimedia+Libraries/Program/Submission/Why Wikimedians-in-residence should edit Wikipedia

Title of your proposal

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Why Wikimedians-in-residence should edit Wikipedia

Name(s) and/or username(s)

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Rachel Helps, User:Rachel Helps (BYU)
Wikipedian-in-residence, Brigham Young University library

Topic

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  • Advocacy and Outreach in Local Contexts

Type of submission (Please choose one)

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  • Lightning sessions (Short talks/shares in an un-conference format) (5-8 minutes)

Keywords and hashtags

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Keywords: paid editing, Wikimedians-in-residence, hot takes

Abstract

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Wikimedia Foundation has sought to define a Wikimedian-in-residence (WiR) as someone who primarily focuses on outreach and content donations and does not edit Wikipedia itself. But editing Wikipedia is one of the best ways that academic libraries can help to fill knowledge gaps in an accessible way. It is unreasonable to expect volunteers to donate the amount and quality of writing that we demand from Wikipedia. Encyclopedic writing is a specialized skill and we should allow and encourage paid editing from institutions like academic libraries. Avoiding paid editors at all costs is part of a damaging purity culture, that I, as a member of a religion with strong purity culture, understand intimately. After briefly touching on the cultural resistance and history of paid editing on Wikipedia, I will talk a little about why academic libraries in particular are in an excellent position to employ WiRs who edit as part of their job. I will demonstrate the positive impact of paid WiR Wikipedia editing through some examples of their work.

Expected outcomes

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Persuade attendees that paid editing in a WiR context can benefit Wikipedia.

Duration (without Q&A)

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6-8 minutes

Specific requirements

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I will need a projector for slides. I have submitted another presentation proposal, "Redefining outreach 'failure.'"

Interested attendees (Please add yourself, and you may indicate your questions to the presenter).

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  1. Rachel Helps, User:Rachel Helps (BYU)
  2. Iwuala Lucy (talk) 21:43, 9 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  3. Obuezie (talk) 20:49, 13 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  4. KellyDoyle (talk) 15:48, 14 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Omorodion1 (talk)
  6. Bridges2Information (talk) 08:41, 18 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  7. Wait and what is 1lib1ref campaign supported by WMF if not paid editing encouraging from institutions like academic libraries? ;) And I think many WiR do not comply already with the mentioned definition. Research needed... --Anntinomy (talk) 19:22, 20 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
    I agree with what you say, @Anntinomy. I have often thought to myself, "If I am editing an article at work, then I am getting paid to edit." Bridges2Information (talk) 20:32, 20 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  8. EriedgenArc (talk) 12:16, 23 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  9. briing
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