It’s no secret that librarians make amazing Wikimedians. Whether it is because of the shared passion for knowledge or superpowers in working with sources, databases and categories, or the simple fact that librarians are amazing human beings, we know that they thrive in the Wikimedia projects. And if you need a perfect example of a librarian who is also an amazing Wikimedian, take Alice Kibombo. She is a contributor to Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikisource, and the Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda. From a humble start as a Wikipedia reader to a transformative role as a teacher and community supporter, Alice Kibombo has become an inspiring figure in the pursuit of barrier-free access to the sum of human knowledge. And today we Wikicelebrate her work.
Alice, a librarian in Goethe-Zentrum Kampala, began her Wikimedia journey in 2017. She claims to still be learning something new everyday and she knows for certain that she would not get tired of it. Contributing to Wikimedia has changed how she sees the world and exchanges with others. Alice shared that ‘This may sound selfish, but I initially got on this platform to contribute to topics that were undocumented but of interest to me – this has not changed”.
This documentation work can be witnessed in the Wikimedia projects. Alice is active in English Wikipedia, where she added more than 70 articles, many of them about female Ugandan politicians, and engaged in librarians’ beloved campaign: #1lib1ref where she is also a trainer in addition to a contributor. The campaign invites librarians of the world to add citations to Wikipedia. Alice also edits Wikidata and Wikisource adding up to more than 9000 edits. You can discover more about Wikisource in Uganda.
“The Wikimedia projects seemingly overlap and it’s quite interesting to know what each has to offer in the service of barrier free access to the sum of human knowledge,” Alice says.
Wikimedia is much more than editing for Alice. She is an active volunteer in Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda, an organization with a diverse portfolio of organized campaigns, education projects and participation in the global Wikimedia movement.
Alice also has experience as a Wikimedian in Residence at the African Library and Information Associations (AfLIA). This role was a big change for her: “After this experience, my professional life has never been the same. I am more proud of the individuals I have met on the way and the change they are leading in their communities,” she says. Amongst many tasks, Alice was also in charge of the curriculum development of the Wikidata workshop and personally trained close to 200 librarians!
So while Alice may have started the journey all alone she now is part of a family of fellow Wikimedians not only in Uganda but around the globe. “Participating in the Wikimedia Movement has offered me the responsibility to be a more responsible contributor, a community resource person as well as a teacher.”
We are grateful for having you in the movement, Alice!
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