Exploring Wikidata in the GLAM context: projects, lessons learned, and open collaboration 

Last month, we held the first meeting in the series ‘Wikidata in the GLAM context’, dedicated to exploring the synergies between Wikidata and the GLAM world (galleries, libraries, archives and museums), and organised by Wikimedia Spain.  

A space for exchange that brought together people from different professional backgrounds with a common interest: opening up cultural knowledge to the world through free and collaborative tools. 

A virtual meeting with a global perspective 

The event, held online, was attended by 20 people from the cultural and academic sectors and the Wikimedia movement. 

During the session, we explored how Wikidata can connect, structure and raise awareness of cultural heritage in an open, interoperable and multilingual way. 

The meeting focused on the following topics: 

• Featured GLAM-Wiki projects 
• Real-life use cases of Wikidata in cultural institutions 
• Best practices in collaboration between wiki communities and institutions 
• Ideas for future bridges between heritage and open data 

Wikidata in the GLAM context: Inspiring voices 

The session featured experts from the Wikimedia movement and academia, who shared enriching experiences:  

• Rubén Ojeda – Project Manager at Wikimedia Spain 
• Alice Santiago Faria – Researcher and contributor to Wikimedia Portugal  
• Gustavo Candela – Member of the Board of Directors of Wikimedia Spain 
• Stela Madruga – University of São Paulo (USP) 

Thanks to them, we were able to see in concrete terms how Wikidata is not only a free database, but also a living tool for connecting cultural knowledge with the world. You can find the presentations at this link. 

This is just the beginning! 

This has only been the beginning. The positive reception of the meeting and the shared interest in exploring these topics further encourages us to continue creating spaces for dialogue. 

Are you interested in participating in the next meeting? Attention! We are already preparing a second edition, this time in person and with more inspiring experiences from the GLAM-Wiki ecosystem. 

We will share all the details very soon!