Remixing Archival Metadata Project (RAMP) 2.0: Recent Developments and Analysis of Wikipedia Referrals

Abstract

The RAMP (Remixing Archival Metadata Project) tool, developed at the University of Miami Libraries, emerged as a way of facilitating the contribution of library data to the English Wikipedia in alignment with the increasing interest in sharing and exposing distinctive library collections in the online encyclopedia. RAMP is an open source web-based editor that extracts biographical information from EAD (Encoded Archival Description) finding aids using the EAC-CPF (Encoded Archival Context-Corporate Bodies, Persons, Families) format. It also allows for the integration of additional data from other sources like WorldCat Identities and VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) and transforms all the information into wiki markup for publication to the English Wikipedia through its API.

In 2014, a pilot project was conducted using the Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC) Theater Collections. Google Analytics was used to track usage and referrals from Wikipedia to the University of Miami finding aids website, and a noticeable increase in traffic was seen. A report of the results of the pilot project was presented at the Fonds & Bonds DCMI Preconference in 2014. Later, the tool was further developed and has been used to contribute additional collections to Wikipedia. RAMP 2.0 was recently released, and a number of issues identified during a round of usability testing conducted at the library were addressed. This presentation will cover an analysis of referrals from all Wikipedia pages created using the tool. It will also feature a demo of the tool, and will highlight some of the recent developments, which include a major overhaul of the interface, more secure Wikipedia log in, easy upload capabilities, and an effective and convenient installation process. With this recent development, we are providing the library community with a tool that is easy to use and install and that offers a convenient way to share data with other communities on a global scale.