Building the Early Foundation of Wikibooks in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the spirit of reading continues to be nurtured. To encourage this, various local reading and writing initiatives have emerged across the country, from book fairs to literacy movements and community book clubs. Yet when it comes to writing and sharing openly licensed educational content, especially in the form of free books, the momentum has not fully developed. Unlike Wikidata and Wikisource, which have flourished with the support of active communities under Wikimedia Indonesia, Wikibooks still struggles to establish a sustainable user base. This challenge is becoming more evident as the demand for accessible and locally relevant open educational resources grows stronger.

As part of the Wikimedia projects, Wikibooks holds enormous potential to fill this gap by providing openly licensed books that anyone can read, edit, and expand. However, without a dedicated community, many contributors lose motivation after participating in a single training session or event, making it difficult for the project to sustain its growth.

To address this gap, the Bhumika Wiki: Wikibuku project was launched as an experiment to foster participation, strengthen collaboration, and maintain contributor engagement. Initiated by the Wikimedia East Java Community with support from Wikimedia Indonesia and the Wikimedia Foundation, the program successfully reached six cities in Indonesia: Makassar in South Sulawesi, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, and the East Java cities of Surabaya, Malang, Banyuwangi, and Jember.

The outcomes of the project were significant. A total of 99 contributors produced 102 individual works, 17 collaborative pieces, 121 illustrations and photographs, 27 event documentation, 8 project icons, and two presentation materials. The initiative also established collaborations with 23 local communities, including 13 in East Java, 3 in Makassar, and 7 in Mataram. These results highlighted the power of networks in creating a collective impact.

Participant evaluations revealed that most found the program easy to follow, enjoyable, and beneficial. This experience encouraged them to continue engaging in future workshops. The main challenges were technical, such as unstable internet connections, difficulties in uploading content, and learning editing and formatting features on Wikibooks. Yet these obstacles became opportunities for shared learning that enriched the overall process.

Trainers received high praise for their supportive attitudes, clear communication, and approachable style. Participants also valued the collaborative activities, interactive quizzes, the chance to meet new volunteers, and the warm atmosphere that fostered networking and the exchange of ideas. It is not surprising that 98 percent of participants expressed interest in attending further workshops, signaling strong potential for community retention and growth.

The most striking outcomes of the entire program were the spirit of collaboration, the formation of new networks, and the welcoming, interactive environment that characterized each session. Given this enthusiasm and the requests from other cities, the project has strong potential to continue in the coming years by reaching more regions and engaging more contributors. With ongoing support from Wikimedia Indonesia and the Wikimedia Foundation, these efforts will become even more resilient, ensuring that Wikibooks secures its place as a dynamic hub of open educational resources in Indonesia.

For those who wish to stay connected, follow the Wikimedia East Java Community on Instagram. Let us continue building together.