Page:Wikipedia and Academic Libraries.djvu/136

Rh University of Ilorin, Kwara State; University of Ibadan, Oyo State; Ekiti State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Nigeria Institute of Journalism (Wikimedia, 2021).

Academic libraries in reciprocation have initiated and executed activities that have led to progress in the Wikimedia movement, such as in the case of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. At this university, Dr. Ngozi Osadebe facilitated an Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon in 2017. Art + Feminism Edit-A-Thons target the underrepresentation of women in the arts on Wikipedia both in contributing to Wikipedia and the amount of content. Editors for the event were recruited and trained from the underrepresented group to ll the existing gap by editing, writing articles, and adding content on relatable materials in Wikipedia (University of Nigeria Library, 2017). Another way that libraries are introducing staff members and the public to the Wikimedia world is through the #1Lib1Ref campaign. On February 6, 2020, WUGN partnered with the Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, to improve references on Wikipedia (Wikipedia, 2020). These partnerships benefits libraries and Wikipedia and are good steps taken toward promoting a shared mission: to get more diversified and knowledgeable editors who add credible edits and move the Wikimedia movement forward by increasing visibility and free access to information.

Librarians in Africa can help improve Wikipedia by adding materials related to specific topics where information is lacking. Each library holds books containing information that cannot be found on Wikipedia. Moving the information from the book into Wikipedia is an important first step to building and improving articles that relate to the different language Wikipedias. Wikipedia articles include links designed to guide the user, information seeker, or researcher to related pages/resources with additional information (Lally & Dunford, 2007; Stvilia, et al., 2008). Citations from verified materials, such as books, journals, web pages, online newspapers, and institutional repositories, can be added for further details and in consideration for proper citation/referencing of the intellectual output of researchers.