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Africa report

A month in Africa's GLAMs

By Isla, Francis and Stephen

The following newsletter is an update of GLAM activity from the last month (and a bit) across the African continent and beyond. The activities listed below have come from the work of two Wikimedia chapters, South Africa and Kenya, and from the WikiAfrica Project.

GLAM presentation at Creative Commons Africa in Uganda, June

In the very last days of June 2012, Isla Haddow-Flood and Abbas Mahmood were asked to present GLAM in Africa to the delegates of the Creative Commons Africa Convening being hosted by Creative Commons International in Uganda.

Abbas began the presentation with an overview of the Wikimedia Outreach's approach to GLAM, and referred to some of the initial successes, specifically in Europe and the UK.

WikiAfrica Project Manager: Africa, Isla followed, speaking specifically about the WikiAfrica's GLAM project, Share Your Knowledge. The project's strategy, accomplishments and intentions were presented and discussed, including the then 17 (now, 23) galleries, libraries, archives, and museums across Africa that have signed up as Content Partners intent on sharing the content within their institutions with Wikimedia projects under the CC-BY-SA licence. She also presented the Share Your Knowledge WHY video, that was created for GLAM by Lettera27.

Africa at Wikimania

WikiAfrica did also attend Wikimania on the 12th of June, where it discussed GLAM in Africa as part of the presentation: Wikipedia and Africa: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship.

South African Heritage Institutions Supports Wiki Loves Monuments

Wikimedia South Africa and WikiAfrica have been working to get South Africa's heritage institutions involved in and participate as upload sites for the upcoming Wiki Loves Monuments 2012. The National Heritage Council (NHC), South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA), Western Cape Heritage and City of Cape Town Heritage are all eager to be involved, especially in an upload marathon at local museums to the South African Wiki Loves Monuments and thus to Commons, that will take place on Heritage Day (Monday, 24 September), a public holiday. Their official involvement is pending the return of signed final agreements.

WikiAfrica stimulating digitization of collections

Institutions in Africa especially Galleries and Museums are embracing WikiAfrica in order to share their content with Wikimedia Projects. However, most of these institutions have not fully digitised their collections. The immense benefits envisaged by these institutions in partnering with WikiAfrica has encouraged them to digitise part of their collection for use in the Wikimedia project. Refer to the list of African GLAMs below for the latest partners.

Potential GLAMs - Still in Talks

The following have expressed interest in working as GLAMs with Wikimedia Kenya:

  • Nairobi Railway Museum have partially accepted to collaborate with Wikimedia Kenya to have their content on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. The senior management requested for copies of proposals to review them in detail.Wikimedia Kenya is in discussions on the best way to undertake this project being the first of its kind. A preliminary study revealed that they have none of their collections digitized.
  • Kenya National Archives are still reviewing a proposal that was sent to them regarding GLAM. Hopefully the results shall be out by the time the next newsletter shall be published.

The following have expressed interest in working as GLAMs with WikiAfrica:

  • National Museum Malawi
  • Shimoni Slavery Museum, Kenya
  • Sungani Zakwathu Cultural Heritage Promotions, Malawi
  • Seychelles People's Defence Forces Museum, Seychelles
  • Bamako-London Exhibition, UK/Mali
  • South African Heritage Resource Agency, South Africa
  • Name your hood, South Africa
  • IZIKO Museums of Cape Town (14 museums in the Cape Town area) www.iziko.org.za, South Africa
  • Western Province Government – Department of Heritage, South Africa
  • Western Province Government – Department of Museums (in charge of 26 museums in the Western Cape), South Africa
  • City of Cape Town Heritage Department
  • National Herbarium of Tanzania (http://vimeo.com/11736032), Tanzania
  • TARA – Trust for African Rock Art, Kenya, www.africanrockart.org
  • Kuona Trust, Kenya www.kuonatrust.org
  • National Commission of Museums and monuments, Nigeria, http://www.nigerianmuseums.org
  • Digital Archive,Rock Art Research Institute, Origins Centre, Wits University, South Africa, www.SARADA.co.za

African GLAMs: Cultural Institutions Contributing to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Projects with African Contents

The following GLAMs are at different stages of the Share Your Knowledge path. For in-depth Case Studies of long term partners, please see below, or look at this month's Italy report.

Wikimedia chapters supporting the collaborations with institutions in Africa and with African contents

  • Wikimedia South Africa
  • Wikimedia Kenya
  • Викимедија Србије (Wikimedia Serbia)
  • Wikimedia CH
  • Wikimedia España
  • Wikimedia Italia


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Can South Africans join Wikiglam as well?


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