Open Knowledge Practices through Wikimedia Projects for Librarians in Benue State University.

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The Wikimedia training for librarians at Benue State University Makurdi, now known as Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM), was organized to promote open knowledge practices and empower librarians library students with practical skills to contribute effectively to Wikimedia projects. This initiative sought to create awareness about Wikimedia projects and capacity building for librarians in Benue State University on open knowledge practices through Wikimedia projects, improve the visibility of local knowledge of Benue State on Wikipedia wikimedia commons and wikidata, and also encourage active participation of librarians in the global knowledge ecosystem.

Structure of the training

The program was structured into five online sessions and two physical training sessions, allowing for flexibility and better engagement.

Physical Training Sessions

The two physical sessions held at MOAUM provided hands-on experience. Participants engaged in practical editing tasks, creating wikidata items, and contributions to Wikimedia Commons. The physical sessions also created room for collaborative discussions .

Online Training:

Participants

The training engaged librarians and library students from Benue State University now known as Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM). Participants were enthusiastic about the sessions, showing commitment to learning and exploring ways to integrate Wikimedia projects into their professional practice.

Key Outcomes and Statistics

The training produced the following contributions.

  • Number of Participants Trained: 70 librarians (across online and physical sessions)
  • Articles Created/Improved on Wikipedia and Wikidata: 421
  • Images Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons: 159 images
  • Wikidata Items Created: 156 items were created.

Challenges

Some challenges encountered during the training included: Limited internet connectivity during some online sessions. Difficulty in balancing official library duties with training participation.

How the Challenges were tackled

Recordings were made available for those whose Internet connectivity couldn’t allow to join the online training and those whose activities at work couldn’t allow time to join the training session. The WhatsApp group was also used to attend to participants questions.

Link to recordings

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12n07wQwnIEcfn7G4r1VfZCnIUyde3KdD/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DVa9sqJWGdC_R8riTSLawFtriNpwbcDE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o6-LwyFZfbXDKrZKZMbszOF2143aLVII/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D3mZUtZbndrbSamQziD2AH4jO56EOAWj/view?usp=sharing

Link to meta page https://w.wiki/DtH4

Link to outreach Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Meritkosy/Open_Knowledge_Practices_Through_Wikimedia_Projects_for_Librarians_in_Benue

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