This is the project page for Mike Dickison's (User:Giantflightlessbirds) Wikipedian-at-Large project based in Christchurch, New Zealand, January to July 2024. This initiative was supported by Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand through a grant by the Wikimedia Foundation. The goal was to help Canterbury institutions engage with the Wikimedia Movement, and develop the editor base of volunteer Wikimedians in Christchurch.
Background
editFrom mid 2018 to mid 2019 Mike Dickison was New Zealand Wikipedian at Large, supported by a one-year grant from the Wikimedia Foundation. His job was to travel the length of New Zealand to help heritage and research organisations engage with Wikimedia projects as a Wikipedian in Residence, and support the New Zealand editing community through meetups and workshops. Later while based in Hokitika he undertook short contracts as a West Coast Wikipedian at Large for Development West Coast in 2020, 2022, and 2023. When newly-formed Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand was successful in gaining continuing funding from the Wikimedia Foundation in 2023, funds were set aside to continue supporting the role of a Wikipedian at Large, based on its demonstrated success in spurring the growth of the Wikimedia Movement in Aotearoa.
Scope
editThe 2024 Wikipedian at Large project ran from 15 Jan to 15 July, and was based in and around Christchurch. The largest city in the South Island has no regular public Wikimedia meetups, has yet to host a WikiCon, and none of its institutions has a Wikimedia strategy. The Wikipedian's job included:
- Working with gallery, library, museum, and archives (GLAM) to organise uploads of public-domain photos and documents into Wikimedia Commons.
- Run training for GLAM staff, introducing them to Wikipedia, Commons, and Wikidata, and helping institutions develop a Wikimedia strategy for their collections.
- Run several public edit-a-thons, where volunteer Wikipedia editors can get together and tackle a particular topic.
- Run a series of free workshops, online and in person, where people can learn the basics of editing Wikipedia and donating photos to Commons. These would be of particular interest to community historical and heritage societies, students, iwi, and genealogists.
- Establish a monthly in-person meetup for Christchurch Wikipedians.
Reports
edit- January 2024: This Month in GLAM
- February 2024: This Month in GLAM
- March 2024: This Month in GLAM
- April 2024: This Month in GLAM
- May 2024: — (Santiago conference and after)
- June 2024: This Month in GLAM
- August 2024: This Month in GLAM
Media
edit
- Email me at mike
rove.wiki (that's all, there's no .com, which confuses some websites like Blogger…) - Leave a message on my Wikipedia talk page
- Join the Wikipedia Aotearoa New Zealand Facebook group
- For more information about Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand, and to join up, see www.wikimedia.nz
I'm happy to talk to media for a story about Wikipedia. Pick any publicity photos you like from the Mike Dickison gallery on WikiCommons. Note that these photos are free to use, provided you credit the photographer by name (i.e.: not "Wikipedia" or "supplied").