Wikimedia+Libraries/Program/Submission/Wikipedia in African Libraries: our Story

Title of your proposal

Wikipedia in African Libraries: our Story

Name(s) and/or username(s)

Doreen Appiah: User:DoreenAppiah

Alice Kimbobo:

Nkem Osuigwe: User:AfricanLibrarian

Omorodion Okuonghae

Topic

• Experience Sharing Panel - Wikipedia in African libraries: our story

Type of submission (Please choose one)

• Panel discussion(55 minutes)

Keywords and hashtags

African libraries, AfLIA, online learning

WikiAfLibs

Abstract

Continuous evolving changes in the library and information science sector have necessitated changes in the duties of librarians all over the world including in Africa and in these current times, librarians help to create information, and teach clients on how to function effectively in online spaces. In 2020, all these informed AfLIA(African Library and Information Associations and Institutions) to get a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation to run a training programme for African librarians on how to integrate Wikipedia into information service delivery in Africa using the OCLC Wikipedia + Libraries: Better Together course and adapting it to fit the African digital learning milieu. It was a huge and ambitious undertaking as the target was to train 300 librarians from 30 African countries on how to effectively use and work on Wikipedia. How did it go? What were the initial steps taken? Which areas of the OCLC's curriculum were adapted - instructional design, content and/or examples? How did AfLIA create the buy-in for the course among African librarians? Were the participants all in class at one instance? What learning platform was used? How did they learn to work collaboratively in digital spaces? Was it a success? What were the challenges that appeared to be insurmountable at different points? As newbies to the Wikimedia movement so to speak, how did the project team made up mainly of AfLIA staff cope? The panel will discuss all these as well as critical lessons learned, 'Wikipedia penetration in African libraries' and the overall impact of the course on information service delivery through libraries in Africa.

Expected outcomes

- Participants will understand how to reuse resources, materials and knowledge generated from previous grants from the Wikimedia Foundation for new projects that will bring more people into the Wikimedia movement

- Participants will learn how to create buy-in among librarians and other professionals for training courses on Wikimedia projects

- Participants will gain knowledge of steps and processes of overcoming possible challenges in training professionals using online learning platforms

- Participants will have the opportunity to interrogate the impact of the Wikipedia in African libraries course in African libraries

Duration (without Q&A)

55 mins

Specific requirements

Projector for pictures, access to Wifi for participants and 4 microphones for the panelists

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

1. --Jeb (talk) 16:03, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
2. Walkuraxx (talk) 06:42, 19 June 2022 (UTC)
3. Bridges2Information (talk) 20:20, 20 June 2022 (UTC)
4. FRomeo (WMF) (talk) 13:20, 22 June 2022 (UTC) Would you be interested in joining the discussion Where next for 1Lib1Ref too?
5. EriedgenArc (talk) 12:18, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
6. AKibombo (talk) 13:57, 28 June 2022 (UTC)