Presented at "Access Techniques and Systems for Archives" LIS course (Kenneth Heger) at University of Maryland iSchool 4/16/2014. This presentation covers an introduction to the principles and practices of using Wikipedia for archives and other cultural institutions. I focus especially on profession's conception of access and Wikipedia's place within an archival framework, with some discussion of the history of archives, NARA, and the GLAM-Wiki movement.

1. Wikipedia and Archives
Dominic McDevitt-Parks
Digital Content Specialist / Wikipedian in Residence
National Archives and Records Administration
dominic.mcdevitt-parks@nara.gov
@Dominic_MP

2. "The end of all archival effort is to preserve
valuable records and make them available
for use. Everything an archivist does is
concentrated on this dual objective."
T.R. Schellenberg, 1956
Access

3. “Recognizing that use is the fundamental reason for keeping archives, archivists actively
promote open and equitable access to the records in their care within the context of their
institutions’ missions and their intended user groups. They minimize restrictions and maximize
ease of access. They facilitate the continuing accessibility and intelligibility of archival materials
in all formats. Archivists formulate and disseminate institutional access policies along with
strategies that encourage responsible use. They work with donors and originating agencies to
ensure that any restrictions are appropriate, well-documented, and equitably enforced. When
repositories require restrictions to protect confidential and proprietary information, such
restrictions should be implemented in an impartial manner. In all questions of access, archivists
seek practical solutions that balance competing principles and interests.”
SAA Code of Ethics, 2012
Access

4. Strategic Goal: Make Access Happen
Make Access Happen establishes “public access” as NARA’s core
purpose, adds strategic context to our daily operations, and inspires our
workforce to develop new, innovative approaches to delivering government
information to the public. Make Access Happen signals a significant shift in
strategy and purpose: NARA will reach beyond its traditional role of
making records available for others to discover, and will make access
happen by providing flexible tools and accessible resources that
promote public participation. NARA will be a recognized expert and
leader in delivering information to customers in ways that are the most
useful and meaningful to them.
National Archives Strategic Plan, Feb. 2014
National Archives & Access

5. How do we think access happens?

6. How do we think access happens?

7. How do we think access happens?

8. How does access happen?
Wikipedia
1,274,000,000
Partners
238,000,000
archives.gov (incl. OPAC)
96,000,000
Facebook
39,500,000
Flickr
11,000,000
Total views (or FB reach) across NARA channels (2013)

9. Is it reliable?

10. What is it?
● Non-profit
● No editorial staff
● Family of projects
● Free forever

11. New model
“Our work with Wikipedia is changing the way
we think”
David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States
National Archives Open Government Plan, 2012

12. What are we?
NARA drives openness, cultivates public
participation, and strengthens our nation’s
democracy through public access to high-
value government records.
The mission of the Wikimedia Foundation is to
empower and engage people around the
world to collect and develop educational
content under a free license or in the public
domain, and to disseminate it effectively
and globally. The Foundation will make and
keep useful information from its projects
available on the Internet free of charge, in
perpetuity.
Imagine a world in which every single human
being can freely share in the sum of all
knowledge. That's our commitment.
We will be known for cutting-edge delivery of
extraordinary volumes of high-value
government information and
unprecedented engagement to bring greater
meaning to the American experience.
MISSION
VISION

13. Why?
● Wikipedia is an ally
● Wikipedia is a volunteer
workforce
● Wikipedia is the ultimate
platform
http://stats.grok.se/en/top
Galleries
Libraries
Archives
Museums

14. Wikipedian in Residence
Access
Engagement
Change

15. The mission is to show how this platform can be
key to connecting journalists and readers, making
the process more engaging and conversational.
The approach will be the same that I’ve taken in
creating the Newsweek Tumblr: That the most
important thing for any publisher is to first be a
full, participating member of the community,
and that the main focus should be on meeting
the needs of that community, not self-promotion.
Mark Coatney
http://markcoatney.com/post/802733479/exit

16. Things to keep in mind
● The main goal is to share the work of the archives on Wikipedia by spotlighting
areas of expertise—like holdings and research areas—not by focusing on
polishing our image.
● Archives staff who participate on Wikipedia are on equal footing with all other
editors, and must use individual, rather than shared or departmental, accounts.
● Contributors must accept that their edits may be changed or contested. This may
even be the start of a positive dialogue.

17. Make a “To Do” list
● Allows Wikipedians to work independently, from home on articles we have
identified.
● Set collections- or exhibit-oriented priorities for work by Wikipedia
community.
● Know who is working on your relevant Wikipedia articles—and get in touch!

18. Make a “To Do” list

19. Make a “To Do” list

20. Make a “To Do” list
● You should assess Wikipedia’s holes in coverage or deficiencies in quality
related to your unit’s subject area. You may want to focus on high-priority
collections or exhibit topics.
● Focus on discrete, digestible topics—people, objects, sites, events.
● Articles are on artifact or artist, not the museum collection or exhibit itself.

21. Add citations to articles

22. Add citations to articles
● Improve the quality of the Wikipedia article about a topic while increasing the
visibility of resources.
● Can be done by staff, following Wikipedia norms on avoiding conflict of interest.
● Adding informational content is most useful.

23. Host an editathon or scanathon
● Spotlight a collection or exhibit
theme for improvement on
Wikipedia.
● Build bridges with local Wikipedians
passionate about your subject.
● Training opportunity for staff.
● Gain visibility on web and within
Wikipedia editing community.

24. Host an editathon or scanathon

25. Host an editathon or scanathon

26. Host an editathon or scanathon

27. Host an editathon or scanathon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Spindler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_American_Art_Museum

28. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Segouin

29. Host a Wikipedian volunteer
● We want to sustain involvement from passionate
Wikipedians beyond one-off events.
● You can work with Wikipedians online or on-site.
● Example: Archivist interested in working with a
Wikipedian on an article related to upcoming exhibit

30. Share digital assets
View live:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:National_Archives_and_Records_Administration

31. Next steps: Linked open data
● Wikidata is a free knowledge
base that can be read and edited
by humans and machines alike.
● Centralizes access to and
management of structured data,
such as interwiki references and
statistical information.
● Contains data in every language.
● Supported by the MediaWiki
software.

32. Wikipedia as content hub
Integrating NARA assets with Wikipedia generates
access.
Wikipedia is the largest platform, by far, for NARA’s
records and data.
NARA’s participation makes Wikipedia better for
information consumers, improving informational
content and quality of the end product

33. Wikipedia as content hub

34. Wikipedia as context hub
Wikipedia’s content is also a data
set, relying on an ecosystem of
data sources to create a rich
encyclopedia.
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8027

35. First steps
Adding NARA authority file identifiers to
Wikidata.
Hosting hackathons in Innovation Hub
Begin with machine tags in OPAC.

36. Other examples

37. Other examples

38. Other examples

39. New paradigms
Crowdsourcing / Community-sourcing
Citizen Archivists
Open Government
Open Access / Data
Open GLAM
Open Authority

40. New paradigms
Where do we go next?