Wikimedia Indiana: A New User Group Rooted in Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Wikimedians in Indiana would like to use the occasion of WCNA to announce the formation of a new prospective user group, Wikimedia Indiana—currently being reviewed by the Affiliations Committee for affiliate status. This new group, led by several longtime Wikipedians active in the GLAM space, has been kickstarted by work centered on IUPUI University Library in Indianapolis and its many community partners. We are a small group, but we have already held several events and training in the past few months and would like to share our successes and invite others to collaborate.

In 2022, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis received a grant from the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) Library Fund to increase public participation in Indiana’s history and cultural heritage by implementing two inter-related projects: 1.) contributing images to Wikimedia Commons from Indiana cultural heritage sites that take part in the Indiana Memory Project and 2.) fostering a community of Wikipedia contributors in Indiana with a campaign of public programs, training, and other outreach. Launched in June, the project has already resulted in over 10,000 uploads to Wikimedia Commons from 3 Indiana cultural institutions, 2 editathons (with 2 more scheduled on Nov. 1), 6 successful DYKs, and staff training at multiple local cultural institutions.

With this core, funded project in motion, Wikimedians are invigorating a new community in Indiana with the hope that it can sustain activity and grow beyond the university library. During this presentation, we will discuss the Wikimedia community in Indiana, the state of the IUPUI project, the grant process, and advice from the team on starting new initiatives in areas of the country without much activity. The proposed session will also look to the project's future and discuss how the rest of the Wikimedia community, anywhere in North America, can help the effort.