Serbian Wikipedia takes first place again in the global #1Lib1Ref 2026 campaign

Every January, librarians, researchers, and knowledge advocates around the world come together for a simple but powerful mission: to make Wikipedia more reliable by adding sources. The global campaign #1Lib1Ref (“One Librarian, One Reference”) invites participants to contribute just one citation to improve the verifiability of articles across the encyclopedia. Since its launch, the initiative has grown into a worldwide celebration of Wikipedia’s birthday and a cornerstone of collaboration between Wikimedia communities and libraries.

In 2026, the Serbian Wikipedia community once again demonstrated how impactful a dedicated volunteer network can be, securing first place globally in the campaign and reaffirming its long-standing commitment to improving content quality and reliability. This success reflects systematic work on strengthening the verifiability of articles and enhancing the credibility of the encyclopedia.

Thousands of edits for a more reliable encyclopedia

The campaign encourages librarians, researchers, editors and readers to improve articles by adding reliable references, based on the principle that every claim should be supported by a trustworthy source. During this year’s campaign, contributors on Serbian Wikipedia made a total of 12,681 edits focused on adding citations, placing the community at the top of the global leaderboard.

Although the initiative was originally designed to engage library professionals, participation extends far beyond the library sector. Experienced Wikipedians, newcomers, educators, and knowledge enthusiasts all contribute, united by the belief that reliable information should be accessible to everyone. Serbian Wikipedia is not among the largest language editions, yet it consistently achieves outstanding results in global campaigns, demonstrating that meaningful impact depends on dedication rather than size.

Extraordinary individual contributions

Among this year’s participants, editor Nikolina Šepić stood out with an exceptional personal achievement. She alone added 5,886 references, accounting for nearly half of all edits made during the campaign on Serbian Wikipedia. Other top contributors included editors Gzanag, Vanilica, Aleksandra Stojićević and BuhaM, whose efforts further strengthened the encyclopedia’s reliability and demonstrated how individual initiative can significantly influence collective outcomes.

More than a technical task

Adding references represents far more than a technical adjustment to existing text. Citations empower readers to verify information independently, explore original sources, and assess the credibility of claims. In an era marked by rapid dissemination of misinformation and declining trust in information sources, strengthening Wikipedia’s sourcing practices is a meaningful contribution to the public good. Each reference improves not only a single article but the integrity of the encyclopedia as a whole.

A culture of quality and responsibility

The continuity of success in the #1Lib1Ref campaign shows that Serbian Wikipedia has developed a strong culture of quality, responsibility, and collaboration. Support from Wikimedia Serbia, particularly through cooperation with libraries, educational and cultural institutions, helps raise awareness about the importance of referencing and open knowledge and connects traditional knowledge institutions with the digital commons.

Winning first place is both recognition of the effort invested and encouragement for continued work. The campaign’s core message remains simple yet powerful: even a single reference can make a difference. In Serbia’s case, thousands of such contributions combined into a result that resonates far beyond one language edition, demonstrating how small individual actions can collectively strengthen one of the world’s most widely used sources of knowledge.

Ultimately, this achievement is not only about rankings. It is about the volunteers who dedicate their time to quietly improving Wikipedia’s foundations and ensuring that readers everywhere have access to information they can trust.