If you ventured in the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library on January 24th, you might have seen this crowd.
At least 500 people joined the Bay Area Wikipedians User Group in celebrating Wikipedia’s 25th birthday, for a day-long series of events alongside Wikipedia-themed games and crafts. At some point, we had to stop counting because it was impossible to figure out who had just come in and who was returning. We were not expecting such a crowd. Yet, it was the most wonderful gift.
Readers from all walks of life came to this room to share their love of Wikipedia. They made buttons, keychains, friendship bracelets, and colored 250 baby Wiki globes. They pieced together a large jigsaw puzzle of Wiki projects (and other open knowledge organizations) logos with friends. They played Wiki Games, and aced our Wiki trivia. They brought teeshirts, bags and even jackets to be screenprinted with a Wiki-piñata.
Welcoming Readers, Encouraging New Editors
In typical Wikipedia events fashion, we organized editing four editing workshops: an editing workshop for families and youth, a panel, a training on contributing to Wikimedia Commons and an editathon. You can find our slides here. Most of the attendees had no previous experience editing, and 80% of respondents reporting having gained, or maybe gained, enough skills to start contributing.
But what many attendees told us is that the best part of the day was to meet other Wikipedia readers. In our attendees survey, they asked for wiki-racing events and emphasized they made friends while puzzling, and felt connected to the wider community through crafts.
At a time where we are concerned about the decline of direct readership, supporting our readers in connecting in person around their love of Wikipedia could foster a vibrant and diverse community. It made us realize we should be investing in connecting readers throughout the year, and not just for Wikipedia Day and Wiknic. What shapes this may take remains to be defined.
Connecting with readers was also the highlight of the day for local editors, some of whom are depicted below. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of 20 volunteers from the user group or the support of the San Francisco Public Library. We also benefited from a 25th birthday grant.
Our User Group’s motto: come for the knowledge, stay for the people. Here’s to 25 more years of friendship, learning, and editing together.
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