RAMP-ing up access to collections through Wikipedia

Abstract

Cultural heritage institutions have created and curated a body of biographical descriptions over the years. This data created in libraries/archives for a specific community of practice can be repurposed in an effort to share it with other communities on a global scale. The Remixing Archival Metadata Project (RAMP) editor, a web-based tool, emerged as the result of the increasing interest from the library community to expose their collections to the ubiquitous Wikipedia platform. The tool allows users to extract biographical data from EAD (Encoded Archival Description) finding aids, enhance it with information from other sources like WorldCat Identities and VIAF (Virtual International Authority File), and ultimately republish it to the English Wikipedia through its API. Our curatorial attention to detail places us in a unique position to shape Wikipedia by contributing reach descriptions to the encyclopedia.