National Archives program trains Wikipedians in cultural heritage outreach

Editors's note:  On June 14–16, the National Archives hosted its second GLAM Boot Camp. This program, funded by the National Archives Foundation, is an outreach-focused, skills-building workshop for Wikipedians partnering with cultural institutions. You can read more about our first GLAM Boot Camp in 2013 over on the Wikimedia D.C. blog. The following summary of the event … Continue reading National Archives program trains Wikipedians in cultural heritage outreach

Special Report from WikiConference USA at NARA

As David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, announced earlier on his blog, the National Archives was the 2015 host of WikiConference USA, the annual national conference for the Wikipedia editor community and enthusiasts. For NARA, the conference represented an opportunity to further our engagement with the Wikipedia community, which serves our mission … Continue reading Special Report from WikiConference USA at NARA

How does NARA avoid conflicts of interest on Wikipedia?

Last week, a bit of controversy erupted surrounding Wikipedia, after claims surfaced of contributors with paid consultancies editing with a conflict of interest after having been paid to use their Wikipedia savvy to promote their clients. While it is not my intention to get into the particulars of that case here—feel free to read more … Continue reading How does NARA avoid conflicts of interest on Wikipedia?

The National Archives is an official Wikimaniac

  I’m happy to announce that the National Archives is partnering with Wikimedia D.C. on Wikimania 2012, which is being held in Washington D.C this year, July 12-14. We are thrilled to be able to work together with Wikimedia D.C. on its conference in order to promote our common values: citizen engagement, collaboration, innovation, and … Continue reading The National Archives is an official Wikimaniac

National Archives at Kansas City hosts Wikipedians

Today's post comes from National Archives at Kansas City staff members, Archivist Elizabeth Burnes and Exhibit Specialist Dee Harris. Photograph, Improvement Missouri River in Vicinity of Glasgow, MO, August 1881. RG 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Omaha District.  (National Archives at Kansas City) The National Archives at Kansas City welcomed … Continue reading National Archives at Kansas City hosts Wikipedians

NARA plays host for Wikipedians at GLAMcamp DC

This is a guest post by Lori Byrd Phillips, US Cultural Partnerships Coordinator for the Wikimedia Foundation. Lori has also served as the Wikipedian in Residence at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis since 2010 and is currently a museum studies graduate student at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. It’s a well-known fact that Wikipedians love NARA … Continue reading NARA plays host for Wikipedians at GLAMcamp DC

Yes, Wikipedians Scan

David Ferriero's recent post over on the AOTUS blog made mention of NARA's Wikipedia ExtravaSCANza in the context of a discussion of the "Yes We Scan" initiative and a broader digitization strategy. I want to take the opportunity to recap the citizen archivist scanning the National Archives has been hosting for Wikipedians in recent months. … Continue reading Yes, Wikipedians Scan

Online catalog now links to Wikimedia resources

A few weeks ago on The Text Message, I introduced Wikimedia's Wikisource project to you. A sister project of Wikipedia, Wikisource is a free repository of primary-source texts which are transcribed, proofread, and arranged—like Wikipedia—collaboratively by a community of online volunteers. It is my pleasure to announce that, since August 15, Wikimedia's presence now extends … Continue reading Online catalog now links to Wikimedia resources

Wikipedia Backstage Pass Tour and Scanathon

  On Saturday, August 6, more than a dozen Wikipedians attended the backstage pass tour and scanathon at the United States National Archives in College Park, Maryland. The day began at around 11 a.m., as attendees mingled casually among snacks and swag in a lecture room while others passed through security and registered for visitors … Continue reading Wikipedia Backstage Pass Tour and Scanathon