Wikipedia:GLAM/Museums Galleries Scotland

From January 2015 - June 2016, Museums Galleries Scotland hosted a Wikimedian in Residence as part of a project to develop the open knowledge capacity of Scotland's Museums, working with curators and Wikimedians in Scotland. The resident was Sara Thomas.

The first four months of the residency were spent at Glasgow Museums. For more information on this secondment, please see the Glasgow Museums tab.

Welcome

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) began a year-long Wikimedian-in-Residence project in January 2015. It was the second of these to be established in Scotland, following the National Library of Scotland Residency which began in July 2013. The Wikimedian-in-Residence at MGS was Sara Thomas. The MGS residency aimed to work across the Scottish sector to develop open knowledge capacity through training, advocacy and events.

This aim drew from the vision of the National Strategy for Scotland’s Museums and Galleries: Scotland’s museums and galleries will be ambitious, dynamic and sustainable enterprises: connecting people, places and collections; inspiring, delighting and creating public value.

For general information about the Wikimedian-in-Residence programme, please see the following articles:

Secondment to Glasgow Museums

In the first four months of the Residency, the Wikimedian-in-Residence was seconded to Glasgow Museums. The resident was embedded with the Kelvin Hall team. During this period, the resident ran dedicated training for museum staff, including over 50% of the curatorial staff of Glasgow Museums. An editathon concerning Scottish Fairground Culture was held in partnership with the Showpeople community, and the resident spoke both at a number of conferences and internal staff events, promoting the benefits of open knowledge. Perhaps the most significant achievement however was the set up of the Glasgow Museums' Wiki Working Group. This group was made up of museum staff (mostly curatorial but also including some senior staff) interested in working with Wiki, and working more openly in general. Initially the group met every two months. In May 2015 they decided to work on a content audit of a few select areas on Wikipedia related to Glasgow Museums' collections, securing an image donation to Commons, and clarifying policies & procedures regarding staff participation in Wiki projects during working hours. Driven by a staff champion and with the support of senior management, this working group hoped to enable sustainability in the project past the duration of the residency. In Spring 2016 the group changed format due to staffing pressures, but it was hoped that it would continue the conversation about working more openly.

For more information, please see the Glasgow Museums Secondment tab, or the Summary and Reflections report.

Events and workshops

The resident held a number of editing events, as well as training sessions, and spoke at various conferences, seminars and workshops. A full list of these is available on the Events & Workshops tab.

Reports

Institution	Period Covered	Date of Report	Full Report
Glasgow Museums	26 Jan - 20 Feb 2015	18 Feb 2015	1st month - read full
Glasgow Museums	20 Feb - 20 March 2015	20 March 2015	2nd month - read full
Glasgow Museums	21 March - 20 April 2015	16 April 2015	3rd month - read full
Glasgow Museums	21 April - 29 May 2015	29 May 2015	4th month - read full
Glasgow Museums	26 Jan - 29 May 2015	31 May 2015	Summary and Reflections report
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 June - 5 July 2015	8 July 2015	5th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	6 July - 2 August	30 July 2015	6th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	3 August - 31 August	22 September 2015	7th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 September - 30 September	1 October 2015	8th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 October - 31 October	12 November 2015	9th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 November - 30 November	9 December 2015	10th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 December - 31 December	17 December 2015	11th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 January - 31 January	31 January 2016	12th month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 June 2015 - 31 January 2016	31 January 2016	12 Month Summary & Reflections report - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 February - 29 February	1 March	13th Month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 March - 31 March	31 March	14th Month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 April - 30 April	12 May	15th Month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 May - 31 May	31 May	16th Month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 June - 3 July	3 July	17th Month - read full
Museums Galleries Scotland	1 February - 3 July 2016	5 July	Project Completion Summary & Reflection report - read full

Press about the Residency

Wiki Women edit history to address gender imbalance Karin Goodwin, Sunday Herald, 3 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.

Event Review: Introduction to Wikimedia Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland, News & Events blog, February 2016, retrieved 15 March 2016.

Happy Birthday Wikipedia! Museums Galleries Scotland blog, 15 January 2016, retrieved 26 January 2016.

Aberdeenshire Castle's historic artifacts go viral for first time Blair Dingwall, Press and Journal, 21 December 2016, retrieved 14 January 2016.

Distinguished Men & Women The Lesley Riddoch Podcast, 13 December 2015, retrieved 14 January 2016. (Mention of Mary Barbour editathon towards end.)

How to fix your museum's wikipedia page: an FAQ Wikimedia UK blog, 17 December 2015, retrieved 17 December 2015. (Cross-posted to Museums Galleries Scotland blog, 5 January 2016, retrieved 14 January 2016.

Castles, Cats, Organs & Art Schools: Wikimedian in Residence update Museums Galleries Scotland blog, 6 November 2015, retrieved 26 January 2016.

Museums now able to set sail on wave of technology Joanne Orr, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, The Scotsman, 5 August 2015, retrieved 6 August 2015.

Museums Galleries Scotland promoting digitisation across the country Museums and Heritage Advisor, 26 June 2015, retrieved 8 July 2015.

Getting on your Wiki Andrea Mullaney, The Scottish Review, June 2015, retrieved 11 June 2015.

What's a Wikimedian in Residence for? Museums Galleries Scotland blog, 9 June 2015, retrieved 9 June 2015.

Next steps for Scottish residency, Wikimedian UK blog, 8 June 2015, retrieved 9 June 2015.

The secrets of Wikipedia unveiled, Third Force News, 2 June 2015, Susan Smith, retrieved 3 June 2015.

Museums Galleries Scotland appoint Wikimedian in Residence, Museums and Heritage, 21 April 2015

Scotland's Second Wikimedian in Residence, Wikimedia UK Blog, 19 March 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.

Screen siren among top female scientists written back into history Herald Scotland, 16 March 2015 (Re: Napier Connect Edit a Thon)