Wikimedia Israel recently organized a groundbreaking GLAM Wiki course, designed to connect GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) institutions to the rich world of Wikimedia projects. This initiative sought to familiarize participants with Wikimedia platforms, shift organizational mindsets toward embracing open knowledge, and inspire contributions of content and expertise to Wikimedia. While the ambitious goal of ongoing content contributions was challenging, the course successfully laid the groundwork for future collaborations.
Partnership with the National Library of Israel
The GLAM Wiki course was organized in collaboration with the National Library of Israel and supported by key partners, including Orly Simon, Head of Library Technical Services Division; Gea Zohar, Wikimedian in Redidence; and Dr. Ahava Cohen, metadata expert, who taught the section on Wikidata. Together with Dr. Ruth Alster from Wikimedia Israel, the team developed a comprehensive syllabus that deeply engaged participants with Wikimedia projects.
Four dedicated volunteers — Yoav Dotan (Yoavd), Danny Levy (Drork), Ido Ivry (Idoivry), and Alon Bar-Katz (Alonbk) — were trained as mentors for the program. These volunteers provided individualized guidance throughout the course, supporting participants in navigating platforms like Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia, and Wikidata.
Participating institutions included local archives, municipal archives, the Knesset Library, and other significant collections. Each participant developed an engagement plan tailored to their institution, with ongoing support from the course team to implement these plans.
A notable outcome of this mentorship was that three of these volunteers transitioned into roles as in-house Wikipedians (“Wikipedian in Residence”) at participating GLAM institutions. Their continued involvement bridges Wikimedia projects and cultural organizations, fostering sustained collaboration and impact.
This in-person course, held at Beit Ariella Library, marked a return to face-to-face learning, addressing the complexity of the material while fostering a sense of community. Participants collaborated openly, sharing challenges and solutions unique to GLAM institutions.
Practical Outcomes
The course achieved tangible results:
- Articles Created: 2
- Articles Edited: 80
- Total Edits: 619
- Editors Engaged: 19
- Bytes Added: 47,000
- References Added: 23
- Commons Uploads: 72
- Article Views: 68,800
One notable highlight was the upload of 1,838 historical images from the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Archive, thanks to a collaboration initiated during the course. Additionally, the course led to the creation of advisory desks within three GLAM institutions, designed to support Wikimedia-related initiatives.
The course also facilitated the writing of the Hebrew Wikipedia entry “Wikipedian in Residence,” which highlights the role of in-house Wikipedians in fostering partnerships and advancing open knowledge.
The Role of the Wikipedian in Residence
The course emphasized the critical role of the Wikipedian in Residence as an ambassador between Wikimedia and GLAM institutions. This role involves fostering organizational change to highlight the positive impact of Wikimedia projects, improving accessibility to institutional materials through links and metadata, and encouraging both institutions and Wikimedia communities to collaborate. The advisory desk at the Yad Yaari Archive is one such example, where institutional experts provide information that enriches Wikipedia articles while raising awareness of their collections.
GLAM Wiki Dashboard
A powerful tool introduced during the course was the GLAM Wiki Dashboard, a project developed by Wikimedia Israel with support from Wikimedia Sverige and based on open-source infrastructure originally developed by Wikimedia CH. This innovative interface allows GLAM institutions to track the impact of their contributions by visualizing statistical data on the usage of media files uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia.
The Dashboard tracks indices like media exposure, usage trends, and popular categories, offering insights that help institutions evaluate their contributions’ reach and impact. Items such as historical photographs, documents, and artworks gain visibility when integrated into Wikipedia articles, reaching global audiences.
With over 144 organizations worldwide currently participating, including the National Archives of Brazil, the Cleveland Museum of Art (USA), and the National Library of Israel, the Dashboard exemplifies how open knowledge can amplify cultural heritage.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Overall, the course received highly positive feedback from participants. 17 participants traveled to Tel Aviv from across the country, even amidst disruptions caused by air raid sirens in September and October, demonstrating their strong commitment to learning.
Some noted that the program was too short to fully absorb the material, and time constraints limited their ability to internalize and apply what they learned.
Some institutions were slow to adopt open-content policies due to complex copyright considerations, and not all participants had decision-making authority within their organizations. However, these challenges underscored the importance of sustained engagement and follow-up activities, which can address these barriers over time.
Our main objective was a shift in mindset, encouraging GLAM institutions to view Wikimedia as a valuable partner and fostering enthusiasm for future involvement and this goal was achieved. While some institutions are already seeing results, others are in earlier stages of collaboration, laying the foundation for long-term partnerships.
Looking Forward
Building on this success, Wikimedia Israel plans to expand future initiatives, including a dedicated course for public libraries. Other plans include targeting museums and designing longer courses to allow for deeper learning and more meaningful contributions.
By empowering participants to contribute to free knowledge and enhancing their organizations’ digital presence, Wikimedia Israel, in collaboration with the National Library of Israel, continues to strengthen the ties between cultural heritage and open knowledge. We extend our gratitude to everyone who participated and look forward to building on this success!
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