During Palestine Week and as part of the events taking place on campus, the AUB Press collaborated with the University Libraries and hosted the very first event of its kind on campus, they like to call it WikiWednesday. This event targeted all enthusiastic writers and editors in English and Arabic who attended and worked together on editing Wikipedia articles, specifically of Palestinian figures and history.
Yasmina El Hajjar, the managing editor, and Danah El Kaouri, the editorial coordinator, both had some interesting information to share about this project as I interviewed them.
How was the idea of editing Wikipedia articles born?
The idea was initially born early on in a conversation with Dr. Abir Ward in 2019. Initially it started as an initiative to close the gender gap on Wikipedia by creating entries about women scientists and researchers from Lebanon and the region. Abir invited the AUB Press at the time to participate as she knew we worked on modifying articles related to authors and publications. The event was an edit-a-thon connected to a WikiEducation Program.
AUB is the first university outside of the US and Canada that has the Wiki Education project approved for integration that Abir had implemented in her class. We wanted to continue the work she put in and keep the spirit of knowledge generation alive.
At the Press we have integrated an informal Wikipedian-in-Residence where we hire a graduate student or intern to work on relevant Wikimedia entries based on set themes.
When did Wiki Wednesday first start?
WikiWednesday is an international event, but the first one in AUB was the one we held during Palestine week. So initially the first theme of the university’s WikiWednesday was Palestine. We are going to continue our collaboration with the University Libraries and anyone else interested to continue the initiative. Perhaps every few months, until it is a more established concept and hopefully we can expand to have more Arabic writers join.
What is this project about?
Eventually if it becomes a recurring event, we will add it to the global list on Wikipedia.
The project is about fostering knowledge sharing and community enjoyment about topics we consider important. It is an opportunity for the AUB community to work together to collaborate, especially with people of different backgrounds. It is also a means to help develop and improve research, writing, and editing skills in an informal setting. Since Wikipedia is an open knowledge platform, information that participants create has a cultural impact globally since it is knowledge from the region by the region, situating it in a more objective format. While it is an open method of knowledge sharing, it is still structured within a set format and there are many participants globally that supervise how the content is uploaded to make sure that it is neutral and objective. Participants become part of a global initiative.
What do you aim to achieve with this project?
Wikipedia is the go-to site where people find general information about almost anything. While this is shifting, there still is a large gap of information about many topics to do with our region. Not just about events, but also key historic and cultural subjects, topics, and people. We as AUB are a hub for knowledge, especially our students, where we can contribute to the international body of knowledge and make these topics/people known. At times there is information that needs to be updated or clarified.
If you could describe Wednesday’s workshop in three words, what would those words be?
Collaborative, informative, engaging.
How many figures/articles were you able to edit until now?
10 participants joined the Palestine Week event, and 13 articles were edited, and two new pages were added to Wikipedia.
What is the future of Wiki Wednesday like?
Hopeful. We are working towards making WikiWednesday a more formal event, but for now we have it as a monthly occurrence at the Press and we will open it to anyone interested in joining us. The University Libraries also are a great partner since they have always been a supporter in the advancement of knowledge. We are discussing another thematic event, so keep an eye out on our announcement.
To learn more about the Wiki project:
https://www.aub.edu.lb/communications/aub@work/Pages/15/wiki-verse-wikipedia-edit-a-thon.aspx