GLAM/Newsletter/May 2016/Contents/USA report

This Month in GLAM – Volume VI, Issue V, May 2016

USA report

Archivist Award

US National Archives Archivist Award to Andrew Lih

On May 5, Andrew Lih received the Citizen Archivist Award for 2016, from the Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, at the US National Archives and Records Administration. [1] In the citation for the award, it noted his "outstanding commitment to building a vibrant, participatory culture that spans the National Archives, Academia, and the Wikimedia Community." Since 2014, Lih has taught a class at American University in Washington, D.C., called "Wikipedia and Public Knowledge," that collaborates with GLAM institutions in the nation's capital to improve sections of Wikipedia. The class has worked with the Smithsonian Institution museums and the National Archives for several years, which has fostered to scan-a-thons, meetups and conferences, such as Wikiconference USA 2015 at NARA, where Lih gave the keynote address.

In his email to the Wikimedia DC community, he noted, "Thanks to all the folks at Wikimedia DC over the past year, especially NARA folks such as Dominic Byrd-McDevitt, for supporting all the Wikipedia-oriented work. I view it as an award for all of us, and I am grateful to be working with such a smart and passionate set of folks in DC."

Andrew Lih (User:Fuzheado) receiving award.
Certificate for the Archivist Award

Computer History Museum exhibit on Wikipedia

The Silicon Valley-based Computer History Museum has confirmed that its exhibit that will highlight Wikipedia is scheduled for opening in January 2017. Andrew Lih's work with the museum dates back to 2010, where he has been a senior advisor to its curatorial staff. In December 2012, a group of Wikipedians held a meetup at the museum to help brainstorm ideas and inform the exhibit's design.

Computer History Museum space for the coming Wikipedia exhibit in January 2017.
Andrew Lih with curator Marc Weber with exhibit design panels.

Early Modern Edit-a-Thon

On May 13th, the Folger Shakespeare Library hosted an edit-a-thon. The Folger has an internal wiki Folgerpedia, and active transcription project.[2]

Refugees2016

On May 14, 2016, Wikimedia DC partnered with the First Hand Refugee Talks, and Peace Corps volunteers, for an edit-a-thon about refugees, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.

Hay Festival coverage

In a cross-Atlantic collaboration, Andrew Lih attended the prestigious Hay Festival of Books in Wales, in the United Kingdom, and was accredited as a member of the media for contributing content to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Thanks to Wikimedia UK for helping to facilitate the access. He attended three days of the 11 day festival and photographed high-quality portrait shots of more than a dozen authors and speakers such as Salman Rushdie, Ruby Wax, Caitlin Moran and Juan Gabriel Vasquez to add to their Wikipedia bios. He also worked to improve the articles on Hay Festival (start class) and Hay-on-Wye (B-class).

A full report can be found at en:User:Fuzheado/Hay_Festival_2016

Examples of what the resulting head shots look like in the Wikipedia mobile app.

Examples of resulting images as seen in the Wikipedia app

MENA Artists Month

On April 30, 2016, WMNYC helped with Guggathon, hosted at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum to support the month long MENA Artists Month.

Florida Librarians of Wikipedia

Florida Librarians of Wikipedia was officially recognized as a User Group in May. The group was formed by Florida librarians in order to promote the editing of Wikipedia by fellow information professionals. Members of the group participated in an edit-a-thon at the University of South Florida library on April 6 aimed at students and faculty of the USF School of Information.

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