Submissions/MonmouthpediA - A Grand Project

This is an accepted submission for Wikimania 2012.

Introductory video to the project (in English, with French subtitles)

Submission no.

208

Title of the submission

"Is MonmouthpediA the future of Wikipedia" or "MonmouthpediA - A Grand Project"

Type of submission (workshop, tutorial, panel, presentation): Presentation

Author of the submission: Roger Bamkin and John Cummings

E-mail address: roger.bamkin@wikimedia.org.uk john.cummings@monmouthpedia.org.uk

Username: mrjohncummings and Victuallers

Country of origin: England and Wales

Affiliation, if any (organization, company etc.): wikimedia.org.uk and Monmouthshire County Council

Personal homepage or blog: www.monmouthpedia.org

Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal): Monmouthpedia is a "Grand Project". It isn't a GLAM project. It contains at least four GLAMS. It isn't a university collaboration as we have at least three involved. It could be seen as a QR code and augmented reality project but these are not the drivers of this project. This project was formed when John Cummings saw the collaboration that Wikimedia UK had made with Derby Museums. He made the outrageous proposal that we should take what we had done for a small museum and apply it to a town. We found that "the outrageous idea" was a meme that everyone understood and wanted to help with.

The project was able to create a partnership between Monmouthshire County Council, The Town council, Wikimedia UK, QRpedia, Monmouth Civic Society, Monmouth Archaelogical Society, 3 schools, 3 museums, 2 universities, 1 college, a library, a primary school, an art therapy centre, >100 busnesses, a newspaper, TV producers, the wiki community .... oh and the people of Monmouth.

Monmouthpedia is an experiment into the integration of free and easily accessible knowledge into people’s everyday experience of the world and the use of Wikis in the public sector, charities and private sector. The project includes GLAMs and engages with WikiCulture concepts like digital literacy, deletionism, minority language support, open software usage, augmented reality and editor retention. Key to this are the communities historic research and cultural heritage. We have involved Educational institutions but we have also created some educational opportunities. The project has experimented with novel technology and in the process of installing its own dedicated open acces wifi infrastructure throughout the town.

6 people are studying the project as part of their PhDs and a history degree student did her 20 day work based learning placement with us. Rosin Curran went from novice to "Wikipedian in Residence" in a few weeks.

550 new articles (in 30 languages)
138 existing articles improved
58 Articles on Did You Know? (and several more during Wikimania)
over 1,000 new images
≈500,000 more page views per year of articles relating to Monmouth

How did Monmouth respond to our grand plan? Is it possible to get UK organisations to release their images? What are the challenges of operating in a country with two official languages. What are the critical things needed to make the project work? Wikimedia UK believe this is an innovative and important project. One influential blog by Glynn Moody asked, "Is MonmouthpediA the future of Wikipedia?" Well is it?

This project created the "World's First Wikipedia Town". Where will the first Wikipedia city be?

A selection of the best images from the MonmouthpediA Charles Rolls Challenge

Monmouth Museum: An Elephant escaped from the Mop Fair as they were leaving Monmouth.
Keith Moseley: Dog agility and obedience trials at Monmouth Show.
Bob Crowther: East Window, St Thomas the Martyr Church.
Dawnswraig: Medieval timber frame in Monnow Street.
Luciano Vecchio and Yel Zamor: image taken from the comic The Interactives, featuring the Monnow Bridge.
Sue Symonds: River Wye, Tintern to Chepstow.
Anthony Cope: The last train leaving Monmouth Troy railway station in 1959.
Philip Halling: Monnow Bridge.

Track (Wikis and the Public Sector; GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums); WikiCulture and Community; Research, Analysis, and Education; Technology and Infrastructure): YES (See above)

Length of presentation/talk (if other than 25 minutes, specify how long): 25 Minutes

Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?: Possibly

Slides or further information (optional): See Monmouthpedia.org

Special request as to time of presentations (for example - can not present on Saturday)

Interested attendees

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WereSpielChequers 21:07, 16 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Wouldn't miss it User:Smallbones
Joining Pete (aka Smallbones) at this session --Dthomsen8 22:46, 23 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
HstryQT (talk) 16:35, 8 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Lvova (talk) 20:07, 8 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Haxpett (talk) 23:36, 10 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Pharos (talk) 12:47, 12 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Shani (talk) 02:36, 17 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Amir E. Aharoni (talk)
the wub "?!"
Kippelboy (talk) 07:09, 22 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Daniel Mietchen - WiR/OS (talk) 09:03, 22 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Deryck Chan (talk) 16:36, 26 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Graham87 (talk) 10:14, 31 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Richard Symonds, WMUK
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