Page:The Wikipedia Library-The largest encyclopedia needs a digital library and we are building it By Jake Orlowitz.pdf/20

20 In​ ​2017,​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​expanded​ ​by​ ​a​ ​factor​ ​of​ ​three​ ​to​ ​over​ ​4,171​ ​contributions​ ​in​ ​18​ ​languages, with​ ​continued​ ​positive​ ​press,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​events​ ​and​ ​support​ ​from​ ​local​ ​language​ ​Wikimedia communities.​18 ​One​ ​particularly​ ​motivating​ ​story:​ ​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Library​ ​of​ ​Queensland​ ​committed​ ​to and​ ​accomplished​ ​contributing​ ​1,000​ ​references​ ​during​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​from​ ​among​ ​their​ ​staff. This​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​campaign​ ​builds​ ​awareness​ ​and​ ​interest​ ​among​ ​the​ ​library​ ​community​ ​and​ ​allows for​ ​a​ ​dialogue​ ​that​ ​further​ ​shifts​ ​the​ ​Wikimedia​ ​community​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​libraries,​ ​and libraries​ ​closer​ ​to​ ​the​ ​goals​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Wikimedia​ ​community.

TWL,​ ​recognizing​ ​a​ ​need​ ​for​ ​persistent​ ​meeting​ ​and​ ​conversation​ ​spaces,​ ​has​ ​supported​ ​and helped​ ​develop​ ​two​ ​new​ ​venues​ ​to​ ​further​ ​dialogue​ ​between​ ​Wikipedians​ ​and​ ​Librarians:​ ​ ​700 members​ ​have​ ​joined​ ​the​ ​Wikipedia​ ​+​ ​Libraries​ ​Facebook​ ​group,​ ​and​ ​over​ ​130​ ​participants​ ​are signed​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​newly​ ​formed​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Library​ ​User​ ​Group.​ ​These​ ​fora​ ​spark​ ​regular mingling,​ ​noteworthy​ ​updates,​ ​and​ ​cross-pollination​ ​of​ ​ideas​ ​among​ ​Wikipedians​ ​and​ ​librarians, fostering​ ​a​ ​shared​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​identity​ ​and​ ​belonging​ ​to​ ​a​ ​community​ ​of​ ​practice​ ​around​ ​Wikipedia and​ ​Libraries.

The​ ​capstone​ ​of​ ​advocating​ ​for​ ​such​ ​mutually​ ​a​ ​beneficial​ ​and​ ​interconnected​ ​relationship​ ​came when​ ​TWL​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Federation​ ​of​ ​Library​ ​Associations​ ​(IFLA)​ ​to​ ​publish two​ ​seminal​ ​white​ ​papers​ ​(http://www.ifla.org/node/10871​):​ ​ ​one​ ​on​ ​the​ ​opportunities​ ​for​ ​academic and​ ​research​ ​libraries​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​Wikipedia,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​paper​ ​aimed​ ​at​ ​public​ ​libraries. These​ ​papers​ ​outline​ ​multiple​ ​areas​ ​of​ ​potential​ ​collaboration.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​Wikimedia​ ​projects