Museums play a crucial role in cultural exchange, enriching societies and fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among people. In celebration of International Museum Day, Wikimedia Bangladesh organized an edit-a-thon on the Bangla Wikipedia (bn.wikipedia.org). Throughout this three-day event, dedicated Wikimedians focused on creating new articles about museums in Bangladesh and India. Supported by the Chattogram Wikimedia Community, this initiative aimed to address significant gaps by adding essential museum-related articles that were previously missing on the Bangla Wikipedia. This initiative was not just about increasing content but about enriching the cultural tapestry available online, making information about museums more accessible to Bangla-speaking audiences.
The International Museum Day Edit-a-thon 2024 was a landmark event, marking the first of its kind since the inception of Bangla Wikipedia. It demonstrated the power of community collaboration in preserving and sharing cultural heritage. The event’s success is a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm of the participants, who recognized the importance of museums in education and research. Throughout the edit-a-thon, a diverse group of contributors came together, bringing their expertise and passion for cultural preservation. This collective effort resulted in the creation of valuable articles, each contributing to the broader goal of enhancing the representation of museums on Bangla Wikipedia. The edit-a-thon not only filled content gaps but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose among participants, highlighting the importance of collective effort in achieving common goals.
Preparations
To facilitate the event, an event page was created on Bangla Wikipedia featuring a table listing articles and indicating whether they existed or not. This setup allowed participants to work simultaneously on related Wikidata items. The Fountain tool was used for article submission and review, streamlining the process and enabling efficient evaluation of contributions. Considerable effort was dedicated to inviting the Bangla community to join and support this event, aiming to foster collaboration and inclusivity within the broader Wikimedia ecosystem. Fortunately, the community’s response exceeded expectations, with many enthusiastic participants contributing their expertise and knowledge. As a token of appreciation, participants were honoured with the Wikipedia Barnstar, a prestigious recognition within the Wikimedia community, signifying their outstanding contributions.
Outcomes
The three-day edit-a-thon was held from 17 to 19 May 2024, with this year’s theme being ‘Museums for Education and Research.’ We are thrilled to share the positive outcomes of this collaborative event. Dedicated participants applied their expertise and effort, resulting in the creation of 24 new articles on Bangla Wikipedia, covering various museums in Bangladesh and India. Notably, Wikipedian Sheikh Mehedi Hassan stood out by contributing five articles. The Bengali community has once again underscored the importance of enhancing the visibility of information related to museums and archives. We continue to invite everyone to contribute to Wikipedia by creating entries on topics that deserve recognition, thereby enriching the repository of existing information. Looking ahead, we aim to continue this successful initiative in the coming years, hoping to repeat the edit-a-thon and explore new ways to engage other interested Wikimedia communities.
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