GLAM/Newsletter/March 2026/Single
GLAM in Equinox
Global GLAM Call – March Recap & April Preview
Another fantastic month for the GLAM Wiki community! 🎉 Our March Global GLAM call on the 24th was a lively one, with simultaneous English–Spanish interpretation making it more accessible than ever. Missed it? The recording is already up on Commons — go check it out!
Here's a taste of what was covered:
- Pattypan is getting an upgrade! We got an exciting preview of updates to this beloved bulk uploading tool that so many of us rely on daily.
- New metrics from WMF – Nat Baca walked us through new developments and metrics that matter for the GLAM community. Slides are available here.
- IGO Activities – John Cummings introduced the work coming out of the Content Partnerships Hub around IGO activities.
The Global GLAM Call is open to everyone — whether you want to present, propose a topic, volunteer as a host, or request language interpretation, we'd love to have you involved. Use the contact and agenda forms to get in touch.
Next up: 28th of April — the agenda is already taking shape, so don't miss it!
Other Community Updates
- The Wikimedia Affiliations Committee has extended the affiliate recognition until September 2026.
- Wikimania 'sold out' in less than 24hours - and uncertainty remains whether or not registrations will be expanded.
Wikigap 2026 in Tirana, Albania
WikiGap 2026 in Tirana
This was the ninth year of celebrating the WikiGap edit-a-thon in Tirana Albania.
The Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group organized it on March 4, 2026, with the collaboration and support of the Swedish Embassy in Tirana and we were glad to be welcomed by Swedish Ambassador Niklas Ström, who spoke about the importance of women in the context of March 8.
This year, we focused on Wikidata, continuing the work we have built over the years around Albanian and Swedish women.
The event brought together 14 women and men to talk about women's representation in free knowledge. During the event, participants made 221 revisions on Wikidata, created 4 new Wikipedia articles, and improved 50 existing ones.
We also invited 2 guest speakers, Rachele Megna from UN Women and journalist Besar Likmeta, editor of BIRN Albania, who shared thoughts on women and gender-related data, and helped start a conversation on why this kind of information matters and why it is important to improve it on the platforms of free knowledge.
Even after 9 years of celebrating WikiGap at the Swedish Embassy in Tirana, it remains a meaningful moment to continue this important collaboration and to work for better representation of women in free knowledge.
Social media
- We have a public channel on WhatsApp of Albanian Language if you want to join and discuss Wikimedia projects.
If you want to see more about our activities, you can:
- Like our Facebook page, follow us on formerly Twitter or X or Instagram.
Celebrating 20 Years of Papiamentu/o Wikipedia
March marked a significant milestone for the Wikimedia movement in Aruba and the wider Caribbean: the 20th anniversary of Papiamentu/o Wikipedia, officially celebrated on 26 March 2026. This milestone highlights two decades of collaborative efforts to preserve and promote knowledge in Papiamentu/o, strengthening linguistic diversity within the Wikimedia ecosystem.
To commemorate this occasion, Wikipedia on Aruba organized a week of activities aligned with its ongoing community engagement efforts. On 23 March 2026, the project hosted its monthly Ban Wiki! edit-a-thon in collaboration with Fundacion Lanta Papiamento, focusing on strengthening the use and representation of Papiamento on Wikimedia platforms.
Continuing the celebrations, on 25 March 2026, Wikipedia on Aruba partnered with the National Library of Aruba, specifically its Arubiana-Caribiana division, to host a seminar under the theme “Celebrating 20 Years of Papiamento Wikipedia.” Arubiana-Carubiana, a specialized division with its own dedicated location, plays a vital role in preserving and providing access to Papiamento literature and cultural heritage.
The seminar featured a diverse programme highlighting collaborative efforts across institutions. The evening opened with a presentation by Fundacion Lanta Papiamento, which focused on the correct use of Papiamento in online spaces and its ongoing work in promoting and conserving the language. This was followed by Biblioteca Arubiana-Caribiana, which shared insights into its current community projects and showcased coleccion.aw, an open-source collection database that enables public access to heritage collections of Aruba.
UNESCO Aruba then presented on the organization’s role in safeguarding Papiamento and emphasized the importance of platforms such as Wikipedia in ensuring the language remains visible and relevant in digital environments.
The seminar concluded with a presentation by Wikipedia on Aruba, highlighting the role of the PAP-Wikipedia community and providing an overview of the achievements and developments over the past 20 years.
The seminar brought together cultural professionals, information specialists, and community members to reflect on the growth of PAP-Wikipedia and to explore opportunities for further collaboration between Wikimedia initiatives and GLAM institutions. The event underscored the importance of open knowledge in minority languages, and the critical role GLAM organizations play in sustaining and expanding these efforts.
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Ray-Anne Hernandez - Programme Specialist for Culture at the UNESCO National Commission in Aruba -
Zetsia Ponson - Information Specialist Department Arubiana-Caribiana Special Collections -
Ichmarah Kock - Digital Collection and Information Management (BNA) -
Ramon Todd Dandaré,- Fundacion Lanta Papiamento (FLP) -
Ginelly Quandt - Wikimedian in Residence Aruba (WoA) -
Ricardo Arends - Coordinator (WoA)
The Family Treasures Project Returns, with New GLAM Partners
The Family Archives Project Returns, with New GLAM Partners.
Our path
In partnership with the Flavio Machivado Viscarra Foundation, we have been developing a registration model for GLAM institutions in Bolivia. This project continues to expand and has focused on standardizing and identifying key data from local institutions across Bolivia’s nine departments. The model is part of the “Culture at a Click” Project, a replicable framework for cultural institutions in Bolivia to collaborate on Wikimedia projects.
Our next steps
April will bring more surprises for the GLAM community in Bolivia, as we will be publishing four manuals related to the “Cultura un clic” project and releasing more content from the “Tesoros Familiares” project, this time including images of the history of the Theater in Bolivia.
Wiki Loves Folklore Brazil defines six categories to represent Brazilian culture on Commons
Wiki Loves Folklore - Brazil
The Wiki Loves Folklore contest in Brazil, held between February 9th and March 9th, has established itself in its 4th edition as a fundamental initiative for strengthening the presence of Brazilian intangible culture within Wikimedia projects. The contest was organized to document traditions, festivals, cuisine, and various cultural expressions from the north to the south of the country, and counted with the support of the foto.wiki.br community. The event mobilized audiovisual professionals and enthusiasts who contributed to the digital preservation of Brazilian cultural heritage.
Organizing photography contests has the potential to be an effective strategy for encouraging the documentation and appreciation of popular culture by expanding the collection of images available on free knowledge platforms, such as Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. In light of this, choosing the appropriate infrastructure for each contest is an essential factor in ensuring the efficiency, accessibility, and transparency of the process. This also encompasses dimensions such as effectiveness, engagement, social impact, and representativeness, as well as legal issues and evaluation mechanisms.
The infrastructure of the contest has evolved significantly over these four editions. Modifications in different stages of the workflow, including preparation, execution, and wrap-up, were made aiming to improve the experience for organizers, participants, and the jury.
Across 6 thematic categories, the contest totaled more than 1,000 new digital objects—including photos, videos, and audio files—on Wikimedia Commons.
Brazilian Cuisine - 146 new media files
This category recorded typical dishes, ingredients, preparation techniques, culinary utensils, and moments of communion at the table that represent Brazil's gastronomic diversity.
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The dried shrimp of Raposa (MA) by João Maria Bezerra -
Cocoa Caipirinha by MPMrocha -
Cocoa - The Gold of Gandu by Lucrilhas
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Dances, Festivals, and Music - 394 new media files
This category recorded musical and dance artistic expressions, including traditional manifestations, regional festivals, musical instruments, and performances that capture Brazil's cultural richness.
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The Block of Saudade at Recife Carnival by Hansfotos -
Unidos do Barro Preto - Block in 2019 by Rkieferbaum -
Afro Dance Dancer by Thyaggoh90
People, Knowledge, and Activities - 189 new media files
This category documents traditional trades, handicrafts, popular wisdom, artisans at work, and daily practices that preserve and promote local cultural knowledge.
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Making and Maintaining a Fishing Net at Raposa (MA) by João Maria Bezerra -
Sisal Doll in Production by Lucrilhas -
Renaissance Lace by Fios de Poção
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Clothing and Costumes - 62 new media files
This category records traditional clothing, regional festival costumes, typical attire from different cultural groups, and costumes representative of Brazilian cultural diversity.
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Cowboy at Vale do Jaguaribe by Negrosoousa -
"É de Malê que eu vou" by JUCILENE SACRAMENTO DOS SANTOS -
"Caretas de Açoite" by Negrosoousa
Traditions, Rituals, and Oral Expressions - 187 new media files
This category records ceremonies, religious rituals, traditional cultural practices, storytellers, and manifestations that represent Brazilian intangible heritage.
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Contemplating the past to preserve the present by Nalberth6.1 -
Flowers to "Marujada de São Joaquim" by Eduardowcesar -
"Pega de Boi" by Negrosoousa
Performing Arts - 22 new media files
This category records theatrical performances, regional scenic manifestations, popular theater groups, artists on stage, and artistic expressions that represent Brazilian theatricality.
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Living statue in the Liberdade neighborhood of São Paulo by João Victor Salgado Latini -
Contemporary dance and theater show in São Luís (MA) by João Maria Bezerra -
Persephone - Tempero D'Alma Company by Racdias
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The official results of the contest will be released on the upcoming 15th.
New GLAMs and Culture Manager
Hello to all readers, my name is Henrique Godinho, and I will be the new GLAMs and Culture Manager for Wikimedia Brasil. It will be an enormous pleasure to participate in this journey of free knowledge with you! I hold a Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts with a specialization in Communication and Digital Design, a Master's degree in Knowledge Organization, and I am currently pursuing an MBA in Software Engineering. I have over a decade of experience at the intersection of Culture, Art, and Technology, assisting Museums and Memory Institutions in managing and disseminating their knowledge.
I hope to contribute significantly to the dissemination of Brazilian cultural heritage!
Architecture in the public domain in libraries in Nariño/Arquitectura en dominio público en bibliotecas nariñenses
(En español a continuación)
Reviewing the work of Lucindo Espinosa
On March 5th, we talked about public domain works by Colombian architects. A pending debt is the gender gap in the Colombian public domain. The libraries of the Department of Nariño are working on identifying works by architect Lucindo Espinosa to provide access to his works. The presentation at this link.
Meeting about Wikidata at the National Library of Colombia
On April 24, 2026, a meeting will be held in Bogotá, with the possibility of attending via videoconference, about the project Highlighting the Colombian Public Domain in Wikidata and the contributions of the National Library of Colombia. Free event with prior registration, here is the registration form.
Revisando la obra de Lucindo Espinosa
El pasado 5 de marzo se realizó el diálogo sobre las obras en dominio público de arquitectos colombianos. Una deuda pendiente es la brecha de género en el dominio público colombiano. Las biblotecas del Departamento de Nariño están trabajando en identificar obras del arquitecto Lucindo Espinosa para dar acceso a sus trabajos. La presentación en este enlace.
Encuentro sobre Wikidata en la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia
El próximo 24 de Abril de 2026 se realizará un encuentro en Bogotá, con posibilidad de asistir a la videoconferencia, sobre el proyecto Visibilizando el dominio público colombiano en Wikidata y los aportes de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. Evento gratuito con inscripción previa, aquí el formulario de registro.
Main Wikimedian in Residence report for 2025 is here
Lukáš Nekolný report of Wikimedian in Residence for 2025
Lukáš Nekolný works as wiki-resident for Wikimedia Czech Republic on many levels. He is a Wikimedian in Residence in East Bohemian Museum in Hradec Králové, he also supports beginners through wikiporadna (online support call).
Art History Loves Wiki 2026 – digital/local. collection loves wiki
A little background on the KuWiki Working Group
The full name is kuwiki.AG Kunstwissenschaften + Wikipedia. There is an English Language page that will give you some background: kuwiki.Working Group Art History + Wikipedia.
For me as an art loving Wikipedian, without an academic background in Art History the unique feature of our group is the eye-level exchange between experts and volunteers. The initial members were students and PhD students who wanted to introduce the tools of our Wikiverse into academia, but also improve the quality of the depiction of art and art-history in Wikipedia with the fruits of their studies. In these last five years kuwiki.AG has brought Wikipedia and its sister Projects behind the ivy covered walls. In addition to the chapter coordinated GLAM-activities where we largely approach GLAM-institutions from our side (outreach), the members of the kuwiki.AG are working from within their various institutions, whether as students, staff, emeriti, to amateur/dilettants, like I, but always in the role of a volunteer Wikipedian. Not embedded like a Wikipedian in Residence, nor in the role as a payed editor.
The working group gets together in bi-monthly online-meetings to coordinate their activities.
kuwiki's activities
The initial and still defining project was the Living handbook a Vademecum to familiarize Wikimedians with the concepts of Art History and Art Historians with the concepts of Wikipedia when writing articles about art-related topics.
Various topics are picked up, presented, discussed, explained in an open to all interested parties on-line forum called tips & tools on an irregular, but frequent basis on Thursday nights.
kuwiki presents their work at various congresses hosted by arthistorical societies like the "deutscher verband für Kunstgeschichte", at the "Tag der Provenienzforschung", or "Kongress für Kunstgeschichte". But also at WikiCons and Wikimanias.
But it also organizes own congresses, like Provenance loves Wiki in 2024, where the focus was on Provenance Research and whether Wikidata is a suitable and persistent tool for mapping ownership of artwork. Collections, Archives & Research Data in 2025 focused on how Wikidata and research data from various institutions could be reconciled. This year's Art History Loves Wiki 2026 – digital/local. collection loves wiki put into focus how especially museums could utilize the potentials of the different Wikimedia projects.
Art History Loves Wiki 2026 – digital/local. collection loves wiki - Cologne, March 27-29 2026
The meeting at Museum Schnütgen was organized by kuwiki in collaboration with the museum and with financial and logistical support by Wikimedia Germany (WMDE).
On Friday afternoon we started with an introduction to the 360° Tour of the Museum Schnütgen. And how the museum is planning to further enhance this with explanatory links to the exhibitions.
Next a project was introduced that is trying to map Early Modern Hospitals in European Cities.
An example of the organization of a local edit-a-thon at a local museum with a local community to enhance the visibility of women artists in this institution was presented, as well. Whereas this might not be new to our community of Wikimedians, the audience of this conference reaches beyond our community.
ECHOLOT was introduced next. A project that aims to reconcile various cultural databases with the Wikimedia Ecosystem.
A choice of various guided tours through the museum and an adjacent church on Saturday morning helped to get the participants get into conference-mode again.
The Museum Schnütgen presented their digitized inventory books, which are archived in the Heidelberg Accssion Index (HAI).
The Prometheus-Bildarchiv is just as old as Wikipedia. It has 4.150.000 images of art, culture and history from 136 databases.
Wikipedia:Museen BW was an initiative of the Baden-Württemberg official coordinating organization for museums and the Wikipedia Community to built 1:1 partnerships between Wikipedians and local museums to bring their content into the Wikipedia projects.
The LVR Industrial Museum which unites the industrial museums in the Rhineland reported on their outlooks and referred to best practice experiences with Wikipedians in the past.
A Wikipedian's rabbit hole project about how a side-remark in a book by a local historian inspired a Wikipedian to follow through. He had written about a temporary art-depot on the Hohenzollern Castle during WW II to safeguard artworks from Cologne museums, among them the Schnütgen Museum. The remark was, if it wouldn't be possible to recreate this collection, if only just virtually, and the Wikipedian said, "can try“.
A follow up on last years Bringing together Collection Data and Wikidata via AI followed.
The following presentation focused on the intercultural interpretation of descriptions on Wikidata. Are we really talking about the same thing (item) when we see it translated in other languages? But this takes on an even graver dimension if we uncritically adopt phrases and terms from historical data that was put down reflecting the biases of the creators. A "transfer" of an object could be a voluntary, gift, a sale, but also been part of an extortion process, robbery, or loot. The latter of course almost always put down in the more euphemistic terms. One of the projects tackling this problem is Wikidata:WikiProject TheRoK.
The project Gotha transdigital couldn't be presented in person. Since the end of 2024 there are growing efforts to bring the results of these digitization efforts into the Wikipedia projects to enhance their visibility and reuse.
usefulQueries was introduced as a new tool to foster art historical approaches to Wikidata in the future.
Saturday ended with traditional local Kölsch food and nice talks, sponsored by WMDE, but because of their sponsoring restrictions the Kölsch tap had to be taken individually.
Sunday morning was taken up with two 60-minutes bar-camp sessions where the lessons learned in the last two days were taken to the practical tests and potential applications by the participants.
Follow the Documentation Page of the Conference as more and more of the presentations and results will appear.
Just around the corner
Le donne di Villa Massimo (April 10 - 12, 2026) at the Villa Massimo in Rome and hybrid.
Collaboration resumes with the British Library for Bangla Wikisource
Collaboration resumes with the British Library for Bangla Wikisource
The Two Centuries of Indian Print (TCIP) project of the British Library digitizes rare books from its South Asian collection, which were published during the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent. Back in 2020-21, TCIP and West Bengal Wikimedians User Group collaborated with each other to bring high quality scanned Bangla language books to Bangla Wikisource and organized two proofread competitions together to transcribe and proofread those books. Unfortunately, when Tom Derrick, the digital curator for the TCIP project and the main contact from the British Library, left his job, the collaboration suddenly stopped and it could not be resumed because British Library online information systems was cyber-attacked in 2023. However, last year, when Adi Keinan-Schoonbaert, Digital Curator for Asian and African Collections participated in the Wikisource Conference, 2025, the communication resumed again. Due to the setbacks received by the cyberattack, it took several more months of discussion to effectively start the upload of the Bangla books from TCIP again. Heartfelt thanks to Adi for her continuous support, without which, it would not be possible to start over the collaboration once again after five long years.
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11 volumes of high quality scans of bilingual Encyclopædia Bengalensis -
Translations of western classics like Ivanhoe, Tempest etc. -
Lucid translation series of Gulliver's travels, Uncle Tom's Cabin etc. -
A cookbook published by a royal family of Bengal
2026 winners projects
Winners of Wikimedia Italia 2026 GLAM Call
The winners of the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) 2026 call by Wikimedia Italy have been selected.
The nine projects chosen this year stand out for the variety of heritage involved and their focus on open access sharing of diverse materials: from theatrical collections to scientific archives, from LGBTQ+ movement archives to children's comics, and up to the enhancement of local urban and museum heritage.
The GLAM call, promoted by Wikimedia Italy in collaboration with ICOM Italy and Creative Commons Italy, supports projects for the digitization, description, and online publication of cultural content under free licenses. It encourages the dissemination of knowledge and the reuse of heritage on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
Since 2021, the call has funded numerous initiatives from cultural institutions across Italy, contributing to the growth of open and verified content on Italian cultural heritage. The evaluation committee found the projects submitted by the following institutions particularly worthy of funding:
- Fondazione Rosellini for Popular Literature
The Rosellini Foundation in Senigallia is one of the most important organizations in Italy for the preservation and promotion of Italian comics. Its collection includes the complete archive of Corriere dei Piccoli, one of the most influential magazines in the history of Italian children's publishing. The foundation will start digitizing the early issues of Corrierino, specifically those published between 1908 and 1914, up to the beginning of World War I.
- Fondazione Teatro Regio di Torino
Following the project realized for the GLAM 2025 call, which focused on digitizing scenic sketches and costume designs, the Teatro Regio of Turin continues opening its heritage with a new initiative centered on the collection of opera librettos.
The collection includes about 6,000 items, dating from the second half of the 1720s to the second half of the 20th century, including librettos related to historically significant world premieres such as Giacomo Puccini's La bohème. The project plans to digitize, catalog, and publish on Wikimedia Commons 600 librettos from the theater’s collection, providing primary sources for the study and research of opera.
- Associazione Comitato Mura di Padova APS
The Associazione Comitato Mura di Padova APS, active for over 50 years in the protection and study of the city's fortifications, collected a number of photographs, maps, and historical documents about the walls and the city's hydrographic system. The walls of Padua are the longest Renaissance walls that have survived to the present day.
The proposed project aims to enhance and make part of this heritage accessible online through Wikimedia platforms, including: the publication on Wikimedia Commons of at least 300 historical photographs; 60 original maps; 1 video and 30 drone images; and the transcription on Wikisource of at least one historical publication no longer under copyright. Participatory activities such as wiki-walks and editathons are also planned.
- MOS - Movimento Omosessuale Sardo ODV (Queer Political, Cultural, and Social Association of Sardinia)
The MOS - Movimento Omosessuale Sardo ODV, active since 1992 in Sardinia, deals with queer politics, culture, and socialization. Over the years, it has developed the Marilena Sini LGBTQ+ Documentation Center, one of the few Italian libraries specialized in LGBTQ+ topics, now part of the National Library System since 2022.
MOS’s project aims to recover, catalog, and digitize graphic, photographic, and multimedia materials produced by the association over more than 34 years of activity. More than 500 documents will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, including posters, flyers, videos, and audio from campaigns against homo/transphobia and on HIV/AIDS.
- Musei Civici di Reggio Emilia
The Civic Museums of Reggio Emilia, together with the Panizzi Library and the scientific library “C. Livi,” will carry out a project to improve the presence and quality of information about Reggio Emilia’s cultural heritage on Wikimedia projects, through the digitization and publication of content from their collections and archives.
Specifically, the project involves producing and publishing about 200 images related to artworks, artifacts, environments, and museum locations on Wikimedia Commons, complete with metadata. It also includes creating or improving about 20 Wikipedia entries and updating about 100 Wikidata items linked to various materials.
A significant part of the project will be dedicated to evaluating the impact of the activities: data on collection usage—requests and contacts from scholars and researchers, visit data—and Wikipedia page views from 2010 to 2025 will be collected and analyzed to verify whether the increase in open content has contributed to greater knowledge of the collections and, indirectly, to increased onsite visits.
A central part will finally be dedicated to public restitution and community engagement through the organization of two editathons with guided tours open to the public, accompanied by a conference presenting the results achieved.
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – University Library System
On the occasion of the publication of the book La città in scena: 1815-1822, which compiles a searchable chronology of events related to Naples’s early 19th-century musical scene, the University Library System of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore intends to translate the content onto Wikidata.
The goal is to create a structured dataset describing events, places, people, works, and institutional contexts.
The project does not involve digitization of images but focuses on producing high-quality, interconnected, citable, and reusable data that can be used to improve Wikipedia entries and link related information.
- Museum Hub of the City of Teramo
The Museum Hub of the City of Teramo, which coordinates the Civic Art Gallery and eleven city sites including archaeological areas and urban monuments, will launch a structured campaign to digitize and enhance its heritage.
The project involves producing high-resolution photographs and two-dimensional and three-dimensional photogrammetric surveys, which will be published on Wikimedia Commons with structured metadata linked to Wikidata and OpenStreetMap.
- University of Urbino Carlo Bo – University Library Sector
For an exhibition dedicated to Paolo da Middelburg, scheduled for May 2026 at the San Girolamo University Library, the institution plans to fully reconstruct and digitize the scientific legacy of the “Urbino School.”
The project includes digitizing an important ancient scientific collection, dating from the 15th to 18th centuries, composed of printed volumes and handwritten manuscripts.
The works will be fully published on Wikimedia Commons under free licenses, making texts and manuscripts accessible online that were previously available only on-site.
Special attention will be given to extracting and categorizing scientific illustrations—technical diagrams, woodcuts, and engravings—that can be reused to enrich some encyclopedia entries on Wikipedia.
- Italian Institute of Germanic Studies
The project by the Italian Institute of Germanic Studies aims to enhance rare materials belonging to the Giuseppe Gabetti Collection, which documents early 20th-century Greenland explorations and scientific relations between Italy and Nordic countries.
The initiative plans to publish a corpus of images on Wikimedia Commons under free licenses, including maps, plates, photographic documentation, portraits of explorers, geographers, scientists, authorities, and watercolor landscapes, accompanied by descriptive metadata and structured data linked to Wikidata.
New Zealand Bioeconomy Science Institute Wikimedian in Residence update, a letter published in Nature & Architecture + Women NZ
Update on the NZ Bioeconomy Science Institute WiR
In March Ambrosia10 published several documents outlining the data models for both type specimen Wikidata items and the structured data for Wikimedia Commons specimen image files. The documentation also included crosswalks to Darwin Core, an excel spreadsheet showing an example upload via OpenRefine, and two "how to" documents supporting the use of these data models. This documentation was created as part of the Wikidata:WikiProject Natural History Specimen Data Model, a collaboration with Dactylantha from the Auckland Museum and is linked to on that project page. These documents have also been published in a Zenodo community to broaden access to the same.
Letter in Nature
Stitchbird2 and Ambrosia10 (both members of Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand) and their international colleagues TiagoLubiana and S.v.Mering have had a letter published in the scientific journal Nature. In this letter they advocate for biodiversity knowledge experts to contribute not just to Wikipedia but also to Wikidata and WikiCommons.
Architecture + Women NZ Walking Tour & Edit-a-thon
On Sunday 22 March Architecture + Women NZ hosted a walking tour and edit-a-thon, facilitated by GButtersnaps & SusieJWiki from A+W, Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand members, Avawatson03 & CuriosityKat33 and Winnieswikiworld from Auckland Museum.
The walking tour, led by architect Julie Stout, took participants through category I historic building, Lopdell House and the neighbouring Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery.
The edit-a-thon focused on improving, enriching and creating content that celebrates women in architecture, design and art with links to West Auckland. Winnieswikiworld led an introduction to editing then the group of experienced and new editors contributed to articles; Lett Thomas, Jasmax, Judy Millar, Zena Abbott, Andrea Bell, The Yandall Sisters, Heather Straka, Pauline Yearbury, Teuane Tibbo, Ioane Ioane, Ilse von Randow and Ruth Castle. As well as creating an article for Megan Edwards! A collection of images of the walking tour were also added to Wikimedia Commons.
Wikimedia MKD's GLAM Highlights: Botany and Beyond
The GLAM Program in 2026 is focused on the documentation, digitization, and promotion of Macedonia’s cultural and natural heritage through Wikimedia platforms. The program aimed to strengthen collaboration with cultural and scientific institutions, while increasing the availability of free and reliable knowledge online.
In the beginning of the year, activities were directed towards creating and improving content, as well as making valuable materials accessible to a wider audience. In addition to ongoing digitization and content contributions, the program also included the organization of workshops aimed at engaging participants and supporting content creation on Wikimedia projects. This year the program is centered around the theme "Botany of Macedonia".
Edit-a-thon "Women Botanists"
On the occasion of International Women’s Day – March 8, Wikimedia MKD organized an edit-а-thon and workshop at its premises in the Youth Cultural Center (MKC) on March 6. The event aimed to promote gender equality on Wikipedia. Through such activities, the goal is to reduce the gender gap on Wikipedia and increase the visibility of women’s contributions in various fields. The event was attended by 9 students from Gymnasium “Josip Broz Tito” – Skopje, who actively contributed to improving the Macedonian-language Wikipedia.
The edit-a-thon focused on the theme “Women Botanists”, highlighting the important role of women in the development of botany and natural sciences. While editing, participants learned about the lives, scientific work, and achievements of many women botanists who have made significant contributions to the study of plant life.
This theme is also connected to Wikimedia MKD’s annual GLAM program for this year, titled “Botany of Macedonia”, which aims to enrich and improve content related to botany and plant life in Macedonia. The program encourages the creation of new encyclopedic articles and the expansion of existing ones to improve the availability of knowledge in the Macedonian language.
Since many of these topics are still insufficiently covered on Macedonian Wikipedia, students translated and adapted articles from the English Wikipedia. Through this process, they learned how to adapt texts, edit encyclopedic articles, and follow Wikipedia’s rules and standards, helping expand Macedonian Wikipedia with reliable information that was previously available mainly in other languages.
At the same time, editing activities were also carried out within wiki clubs across the country. Members of Wiki Club Kumanovo, Wiki Club Veles, and Wiki Club Drachevo worked in parallel on articles related to the same theme, contributing to the joint initiative to mark this day and enrich Macedonian Wikipedia. During the activity, participated 22 students and created 45 articles, contributing to better representation of women scientists on Macedonian Wikipedia.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia
Wiki club Veles workshop
On 13 March 2026, an educational field workshop was organized for students from Wiki Club Veles as part of the Wikimedia MKD GLAM Program 2026, dedicated to the theme “Botany of Macedonia.” The program aims to encourage research and documentation of plant life in the country and to expand free knowledge online with information about plants and their uses.
The workshop took place in Veles, where students participated in field-based learning activities. They first visited the local market and spoke with an experienced herbalist who explained how medicinal plants are identified, collected, dried, and used in traditional medicine. Students showed great interest and asked questions about the characteristics and healing properties of different herbs.
During the visit, they also spoke with local vegetable producers who explained the process of plant cultivation—from soil preparation and planting seeds to caring for the plants and harvesting the final products. In addition, a local beekeeper introduced the students to the importance of nectar-producing plants and explained the role of bees as essential pollinators in nature.
The workshop continued with a visit to a local agricultural supply store, where students explored different fruit and vegetable seedlings as well as seeds from various crops. They learned about the conditions necessary for plant growth and how young plants are prepared for planting.
Through this field workshop, students gained practical knowledge about plant life, agriculture, and traditional uses of medicinal plants. The activity also encouraged them to document plants through photography and to create or improve botany-related content on Wikipedia.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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The students at the bazar -
The students at the bazar -
The students at the bazar -
The students at the bazar -
The students at the bazar -
The students at the bazar
“Plants Around Us: Veles” workshop
On March 17, 2026, Wikimedia MKD organized an edit-a-thon titled “Plants Around Us: Veles” for the Wiki Club Veles, aiming to encourage young people’s interest in natural sciences while enriching Wikipedia content related to local flora. The event was held under the mentorship of the club coordinator Lili Arsova and biology teacher Elizabeta Nikolovska, with participation from students of Kocho Racin High School in Veles, who actively engaged in all phases of the activity—from field research to creating encyclopedic content.
The first part of the marathon took place outdoors, where students explored vegetation in their natural surroundings. Through practical work and observation, they learned about plant diversity, focusing on herbaceous plants, different types of flowers, and their characteristics. They analyzed leaf shapes, plant structures, and reproduction processes, gaining a deeper understanding of biological concepts. Additional topics included coniferous trees and their specific traits, as well as creeping plants and their spread in nature, helping students connect classroom knowledge with real-life examples.
Participants were also introduced to the process of creating a herbarium, from collecting and selecting plant samples to drying and preserving them. Inspired by this, they began creating their own herbariums using materials gathered during fieldwork, developing attention to detail, systematic work habits, and environmental responsibility.
Following the practical activities, students took part in the edit-a-thon, transforming their knowledge into new Wikipedia articles. They learned how to structure encyclopedic content and contribute to free knowledge, resulting in the creation of six new articles about biographies of botanists.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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The students -
The students with the biology teacher -
The students -
The herbarium -
The students creating articles -
The students
“Plants Around Us: Demir Hisar” workshop
On 25 March 2026, a workshop titled “Plants Around Us: Demir Hisar” was organized for members of the Wiki Club Demir Hisar. The event aimed to foster students’ interest in botany, encourage exploration of plant life in their local environment, and actively engage them in creating free encyclopedic content.
The workshop was designed as a dynamic activity combining field-based learning with practical application. In the first part, students visited the Slepche Monastery, where they explored the rich plant life in the surrounding area while also learning about the site’s cultural and spiritual significance. The nuns introduced the history of the monastery and shared information about its importance, offering students a deeper understanding of its heritage. They also guided the participants through the monastery garden, orchard, and greenhouse, where students took part in a hands-on learning session and became familiar with different types of herbs, flowers, and vegetables, as well as basic principles of plant cultivation and care.
In the second part of the workshop, participants focused on practical work on Wikipedia. With guidance from representatives of Wikimedia MKD and the Wiki Club coordinator, the students created and edited articles about plants found in Macedonia, following encyclopedic standards. This activity helped them develop their digital literacy, as well as their skills in researching, selecting, and presenting information.
A total of 5 students took part in the workshop, producing 15 new articles in Macedonian. Through their work, they made a valuable contribution to expanding botanical content, particularly related to local natural heritage.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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The monastery garden -
The monastery garden -
The monastery garden -
The students writing articles -
The students writing articles -
The students with the coordinator of Wiki club Demir Hisar and Wikimedia MKD's executive director Snezana Strkovksa
GLAM Coordinator activities
In the beginning 2026, the GLAM Coordinator carried out continuous and structured activities focused on the digitization, documentation, and dissemination of scientific and cultural heritage materials in collaboration with relevant institutions.
On a monthly basis, the coordinator worked with the Macedonian National Herbarium at the Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje, where they photographed endemic and rare plant species. These activities resulted in the creation of high-quality visual documentation, photographs of herbarium specimens uploaded monthly to Wikimedia Commons. All files were properly categorized, described, and integrated into relevant Wikimedia projects to ensure accessibility and long-term usability.
In parallel, the coordinator contributed to the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage by digitizing literary works. Each month, folk tales were uploaded to Wikisource within the category “Folk Tales Collected by Marko Cepenkov.” The materials were carefully formatted, reviewed, and organized to meet Wikimedia standards and to ensure they are easily accessible to the public.
Additionally, the coordinator actively worked on improving Wikipedia content related to endemic and rare plant species in Macedonia. This included translating and expanding articles, enhancing their quality with additional references, structured information, and relevant media. These contributions significantly improved the coverage and reliability of scientific content available in the Macedonian language.
Overall, the GLAM Coordinator maintained consistent monthly output across multiple Wikimedia platforms, combining fieldwork, digitization, content creation, and editorial improvements, thereby strengthening open access to knowledge related to Macedonia’s natural and cultural heritage.
Wikipedians in residence activities
In addition to the activities led by the GLAM Coordinator, the Wikipedians in residence actively contributed to the program by creating and expanding articles on the theme of “Botany of Macedonia.” They focused on creating high-quality content about endemic and rare plant species, ensuring accurate descriptions, references, and proper categorization. Their efforts complemented the digitization work, helping to enrich Macedonian Wikipedia with reliable and accessible scientific information.
March in Portugal
Fostering new partnerships: Wikimedia and Ciência Viva
Wikimedia Portugal has recently started a partnership with Ciência Viva, the national agency for scientific and technological culture in Portugal. This collaboration aims to strengthen ties between Wikimedia and one of the mosr important Portuguese science communication institution, promoting open knowledge and the sharing of scientific resources with the public.
- Celebrating International Women’s Day - Womens in science
During the event, more than 80 participants integrated these images into Wikidata items and Wikipedia biographies, improving and creating articles about notable Portuguese women scientists. This collaborative effort fostered both gender equity and access to verified, openly available information.
The initiative marks the beginning of a series of activities that will continue throughout the year, encouraging collaboration between Wikimedia communities and the broader scientific and cultural networks in Portugal, with Ciência Viva as a key partner on this strategy.
Women in Academia in Portugal Edit-a-thon
On the following day, 9 March, and still within the framework of Women’s Month celebrations, the “Women in Academia in Portugal” edit-a-thon took place at ISEG, in partnership with the European project Horizon Europe GEPINC: Gender Equality Plans for INclusivity, led by Professor Elsa Fontainhas.
During the session, participants worked on creating and improving content about Portuguese women academics on Wikimedia projects, contributing to enhance their visibility on Wikipedia.
One of the most memorable moments was the presentation by ISEG librarian Lurdes Tavares, who shared her experience of writing her first Wikipedia article, dedicated to the Portuguese economist Manuela Silva.
More informations: Editatona no ISEG: Mulheres na Academia em Portugal.
Retreat: File Not Found
Wikimedia Portugal took part in the FILE NOT FOUND retreat in Lisbon, an initiative promoted by the Goethe-Institut and GERADOR, that brings together cultural practitioners, artists, and archival experts to reflect on the role of archives in contemporary society. The retreat provided a valuable space for dialogue, exchange, and critical reflection on archival practices, cultural memory, and the challenges facing heritage institutions today.
Wikimedia Portugal’s participation in the retreat was an important opportunity to engage with international perspectives and contribute to a collective discussion on the relationship between archives, access, and cultural preservation. The experience reinforced the value of collaborative work across disciplines and countries, as well as the importance of creating spaces for exchange within the cultural sector.
March in Wikimedia Serbia
Wikimedia Serbia and the Content Partnerships Hub
Wikimedia Serbia has been actively engaged in the global Content Partnerships Hub initiative, an important program that brings together Wikimedia chapters and volunteers from around the world interested in collaborating with various partners to promote the free sharing of knowledge. The Hub aims to enhance cooperation with institutions such as museums, libraries, archives, research institutions, and international organizations, in order to make their content accessible on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
Cooperation with the Nikola Tesla Museum
A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Nikola Tesla Museum. As part of this cooperation, the first internship program will be organized in 2026, lasting one month.
Edit-a-thon on the Independent Cultural Scene
The writing campaign focused on the independent cultural scene on Serbian Wikipedia has been successfully completed. A total of 7 Wikipedia editors participated in the campaign, resulting in 29 newly created articles and 6 improved articles.
Kick-off Event and Workshops
As part of the independent cultural scene writing campaign, a kick-off event and a series of Wikipedia editing workshops were organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Contemporary Arts, the Secondary School for Information Technology, and the College of Information Technology. These events gathered more than 200 young participants interested in the topic of the independent cultural scene and Wikipedia editing.
New Opportunities for Wikipedian in Residence in Serbia
Representatives of Wikimedia Serbia held discussions with several cultural institutions with the aim of establishing new collaborations within the Wikipedian in Residence Program. During the meetings, potential opportunities were explored for individuals to contribute to the digitization, processing, and opening of cultural heritage content through Wikimedia projects. These initial discussions represent an important step toward further developing partnerships and strengthening the presence of open knowledge within cultural institutions.
Looking for similar images
CommonsDB progress and hackathon contributions
Wikimedia Sverige is participating as a content partner (along with Europeana) in the EU funded CommonsDB project. It aims to become a registry of public domain and openly licenses, making it easier for anyone to verify the copyright status of an image. It builds on the International Standard Content Code (ISCC), a perceptual hash of a media file, making it possible to detect similar images even if they are slightly distorted. An introductory blog post has been published on Diff earlier giving a deeper introduction.
In March, Wikimedia Sverige joined the Wikimedia Northwestern hackathon in Arnhem. A prototype that shows how an uploader can get help during the upload was improved (see the video). A longer hackathon blog post was also published on Diff.
Also in March, the milestone of one million declared images in the registry was passed. For declared images, we have now started to add the ISCC code as structured data on Commons. While there is plenty more to do to have all media from Wikimedia Commons in the registry, it can already show the potential both for Wikimedia and external reusers.
GLAM Wiki Group, Donna, CoCreation PTT-Archive
GLAM Wiki Group
The GLAM Wiki Group is a network of GLAM partners. Basicly all the institutions where events have been taking place are invited to join. The goal is to have an exchange network on Wioki Topics. This goes from installing a wiki base to saving cultural heritage and conferences. The meetings take place four tomes in a year, three times onbline and one time at the end of the year in person. Further informations can be found here.
The netwotk is dedicated to cultural institutions and organizations in Switzerland. Some partners become part of the community after having done events with WMCH. Others have technical questions or a looking for ideas. Sometimes partners connect with other partners and projects can increase. In order to decrease hierachies and to work fully together there have been several practical experiences with GLAM partners. In the video you see a ceramic ceramimworkshop carried out at the workshop of the art centre in Biel/Bienne. The director of the museum was taking place as well. It has been great seeing Wikipedians and the museum's director working together with ceramics and experimenting art practice. The "clay(un)workshop" at KBCB w.as part of a WMCH GLAM Meeting in Biel/Bienne. Clay is a material everyone already used before. Still it has been strange using it together in a workshop place instead of sitting oin front of a screen as during all the other meeting before when editing wikipedia. The material helped to communicate in different ways from before. People relaxed and put their direct emotions into the material with quite different approaches and results. It was also strange to not see what the hands were doing. The surprise then has been huge and people enjoyed the conversation afterwards. Some participants created perfect objects while other had lots of thoughts and fragmented pieces. The hands somehow enlarged the mind. After the workshop participantzs felt less stressed and now - looking back to it - it seems like a special memory. One always thinks that GLAM professionals are somehow similiar people as they work in the same area. But as with wikipedians this is not true. People are completely different having different pruposes and topics to solve.It is good to create a feeling of unity in these uncertain times.
Donna
March is the women month. For the celebration of the International Women's Day Who writes his_tory organized an event in Bern together with Loreley films to celebrate female directors. The partner was the cinema Rex in Bern. Articles have been written in women working in the film field in Bern. After the editathon there was the ecreening Donna: Women in revolt in the same cinema. The film describes the life in Italy in the 70ies and how women were fighting for their rights.
Together with Wiki Riot Squad the journey continues with the research on cyberfeminism. Past projects show the relevance of the topic in times were women are not safe in digital spaces. Regarding all the discovered gaps showing the imbalance between men and women there is still lots to do for creating equal oppurtunity for everybody. The resrach is quite interesting as communication is not a new topic. We can learn so much from its history.
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CoCreation at the PTT-Archive
On the 27th of March the second cocreation workshop took place at the PTT-archive. The subject was the history of telephone books in Switzerland. The director showed the archived telephone books with all the materials related. In earlier times there was a profession called telephinist who made the connection. They were asked all kind of things, for Example on cooking and wheather. In a way they were the google of today. It was interesting finding out that in Switzerland this was a typical female profession while in Italy it was a typical male profession. Lots of relationships and marriages were the result as in Switzerland this profession could only be executed by young women who had to stop working after the marriage. Telephone books can tell a lot on past times. Find out more on the projectpage.
CILIP MDG 2026 Conference, Library meetups and the World's Enamels
CILIP MDG Conference Metafutures
In March 2026 the periodic CILIP Metadata and Discovery Group conference met at Engineers House in Bristol, UK. Read the full detail of the conference programme.
Wikidata and OpenRefine featured regularly as part of experimental advances in metadata work in library catalogues. Notable examples from LSE include Fran Frenzel's presentation 'Metadata in Motion: Building Datasets from Library Catalogues' on the LSE thesis project and Helen Williams' paper 'The Metadata Team and institutional research visibility'. Where LSE own their own metadata for print theses in their collection they were able to export this to be a now published useable dataset. Associated Wiki pages including visualisations are available via the LSE Thesis WikiProject. A detailed thread of Fran Frenzel's talk is available on Bluesky.
Leeds University also presented on their BIBFRAME conversion, which utilised Wikidata identifiers throughout their catalogue, converting metadata between library and archives systems (which had varying linked data capability), but also human checking identifiers as issues were found with mistakes in authority files across VIAF, Wikidata and LC (where one mistake can be copied across all where data is shared). The UK Open Bibliographic Metadata Roadmap was also mentioned which hopes to promote replication of this work across the sector so not happening in silos. A full thread on this talk can be found on Bluesky.
Other notable projects include COPIM's Thoth Open Metadata platforms which aim to create a more open infrastructure for metadata particularly between grassroots scholarly publishers and libraries (they have published their talk as Open Access), as well as the latest AI advancements in metadata work and a full day on RDA.
A reflection on the conference from CILIP MDG's chair William Peaden is also available in CILIP MDG's April newsletter. All live Bluesky posting from the conference can be viewed via the #MetadataFutures hashtag or via the CILIP MDG Bluesky account.
Lambeth Libraries meetup , Monday 30th March
Brixton Library in south London, UK host a monthly meetup on the last Monday of each month. Using library resources, interest in local history and editors' personal editing interests the session takes on active editing as well as a social space for editors experienced and also brand new. This month had 7 attendees writing articles on local libraries, discussing standards for book Wikipedia pages, immersive artists, local history archives linked open data and more. There was an interest in the group for some attendees to attend Wikimania Paris in July and liaise with other UK Wikimedia editors to have a meetup there. Lambeth Libraries have the Readers and Writers Festival coming up in May, the Lambeth Heritage Festival in September (where the meetup group are currently planning a local history themed editing session) and the next monthly meetup will be on Monday 27th April 6pm-8pm for anyone wishing to attend.
Khalili Foundation
The majority of time this month has been spent preparing structured data about the Enamels of the World collection. 102 artworks in this collection are already described in Wikidata. The present work is an import of basic facts about the remaining 1,113 artworks in the collection. This in turn will support a bulk upload of images. This is perhaps the collection which most benefits from open data, because there are lots of connections to people (named artists; subjects of portraits; presentations by one person to another). This data set will add to the open data about the careers of notable artists such as Peter Carl Fabergé. Data reconciliation is tedious work, but there is a possibility that AI tools could speed up the process; I discussed with this Shani Evenstein Sigalov of the AI-BRIDGES project and am staying in touch with that project.
As an example of what open data enables, WQ42 is a natural-language interface to Wikidata. Asked "Which is the biggest of the Khalili Collections?", it correctly identifies the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art and gives the size of each of the eight collections.
Comparing ArtUK's profile of the Japanese artist Yabu Meizan with the information about him on Commons and Wikidata, I realised there were artworks from the Khalili Collections that were not tagged in Wikimedia as being his work. I fixed this, making more works from the collections visible in the Commons image gallery and Wikidata's query for this artist. On the way, I added Meizan works to thirteen more categories on Commons, including Mantises in art, Trees in art of Japan, and Women doing textile work in art.
A volunteer translated the Anis al-Hujjaj article into Hausa. This is the first article related to the Khalili Collections in this West African language, and the 93rd new article from this project over all.
Some new articles using images from the Khalili Collections (It's not yet possible to get a complete list):
- Tatar: Thuluth
- Tatar: Naskh
- Central Kurdish: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
- Persian: Physics in medieval Islam
There is a delay calculating image views for March; I've raised this with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Post-publication update: the stats server gives 4,962,717 image views for March.
Spring 2026 news from Ukraine – Wiki Loves Folklore & more #1Lib1Ref
Spring 2026 was an eventful season for Wikimedia Ukraine, with several GLAM/culture-related initiatives wrapping up and new ones launching – from our traditional #1Lib1Ref campaign to a folklore photo contest & Ukraine's Cultural Diplomacy Month.
- 1. #1Lib1Ref's winter–spring round adds hundreds of references
The latest round of the international #1Lib1Ref campaign on Ukrainian Wikipedia ran from February 19 to March 11, 2026. Within this round, 37 contributors made 389 edits and improved 335 articles with references to reliable sources. Among the improved articles were entries on topics ranging from the return of Crimean Tatars from deportation to human rights in Germany, the Zaporizhian Sich, and various botanical and mycological subjects. The campaign continues to demonstrate the potential of engaging librarians with Wikipedia: it remains open to everyone but has a special focus on library professionals.
- 2. Wiki Loves Folklore wraps up with strong results; Feminism & Folklore adds 100+ articles
The third Ukrainian edition of the Wiki Loves Folklore photo contest ran until March 31 and collected over 1900 photographs documenting intangible cultural heritage – traditional crafts, rituals, folk costumes, celebrations and other cultural practices. This year the contest also included a special “Ramadan” nomination for photos related to Islamic culture and traditions, as well as a video and audio nomination.
Alongside the photo contest, the international “Feminism and Folklore” writing campaign invited contributors to create and improve Wikipedia articles about women's roles in folklore and culture. Over 270 articles were created or substantially improved on Ukrainian Wikipedia during the campaign, covering topics from the Triple Goddess to Maman Brigitte in Haitian Vodou and the Moon Goddess in Maya mythology.
- 3. Ukraine’s Cultural Diplomacy Month returns for the sixth year, now focused on contemporary culture
On April 1, the sixth edition of Ukraine's Cultural Diplomacy Month kicked off on Wikipedia. The campaign, co-organized by Wikimedia Ukraine, the Ukrainian Institute and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, with the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies as a strategic partner, invites Wikimedians worldwide to create and translate articles about Ukrainian culture in any language edition of Wikipedia throughout April.
This year's edition focuses specifically on contemporary Ukrainian culture, aiming to make modern artistic voices and practices more visible in the global encyclopedia. In 2025, the campaign resulted in over 1,620 articles created or improved across a record 70 languages.
MoMA's International Traveling Exhibitions and Wikidata on the LD4 Arts Affinity Group April Community Call
On April 22, 2026 at 12pm Eastern/11am Central/10am Mountain/9am Pacific/5pm UTC on the LD4 Arts Affinity Group Community Call - Dorothy Howard (Pratt LOD Fellow in the MoMA Archives) and Jonathan Lill (Head of Metadata and Systems at the MoMA Archives and Library) are discussing their work publishing MoMA's international touring exhibition data in Wikidata, see: Wikidata:WikiProject Museum of Modern Art. This talk will include a short introduction of MoMA's touring history and the work of past LOD Fellows before detailing the final decisions and actions taken to get this important body of data into the public sphere. The talk will conclude with suggestions for best practices for uniformity and consistency for touring exhibition data across the GLAM community in Wikidata.
Philadelphia WikiSalon
Philadelphia Wikimedians held a WikiSalon, Philadelphia/WikiSalon .
Japanese Holiday of White Day
San Diego Wikimedians User Group held a workshop, San Diego - March 2026
Georgetown University Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Georgetown University and Wikimedia DC held a workshop, Georgetown University Wikipedia Edit-a-thon for Women's History Month 2026.
Chicago - Women's History Month
Wikimedians of Chicago held a workshop, Chicago - Women's History Month Edit-a-thon 2026.
Macalester College Art & Feminism
Macalester College wikimedians held a workshop, Macalester College/March 2026.
Country Music's Mythology
UNC-Chapel Hill University Libraries, North Carolina Wikipedians, and Wikimedia NYC held a workshop, Country Music's Mythology.
WNC Women's History Month
Buncombe County Special Collections Library and Wikimedia NYC held a workshop, WNC Women's History Month Edit-a-thon
Wikipedia Day NYC 2026
Wikimedia NYC held a conference, Wikipedia Day NYC March 2026.
Updates on work by BHL-Wiki Working Group members
BHL Field Museum to host BHL Technical Infrastructure
The BHL-Wiki community are celebrating the news that the Field Museum has agreed to host the BHL Technical Infrastructure. More information on this transition away from the Smithsonian Institution can be found in this BHL blog. Many BHL-Wiki working group members were equal parts delighted and relieved to receive this news.
Vanderbilt University’s Heard Libraries Joins BHL
More positive news has also been announced with this BHL blog proclaiming Vanderbilt University’s Heard Libraries is joining BHL and will be contributing cloud infrastructure expertise and technical leadership for BHL.
BHL Annual Meeting 2026
Siobhan Leachman (Ambrosia10) will be attending the BHL Annual Meeting in London. She was asked to prepare a document to report back to BHL Annual Meeting attendees on the effect of the transition BHL has been undergoing on the BHL-Wiki Working Group. She prepared the a summary set out in this document to be read by attendees prior to the meeting.
BHL Day 2026
Ambrosia10 and Sabine von Mering have also submitted and have had accepted an abstract to the public symposium BHL Day 2026 which will take place at the Natural History Museum, on Wednesday 29 April. They will be presenting on research they and their colleagues had undertaken on flowering plant genera named after women and the two research papers they and their colleagues published on their research. Wikidata was used to create the linked open dataset for all flowering plant genera whose names honour women.
Wikidata type specimen data model
In 2024 members of the BHL Wiki working group raised the issue of the need for a Wikidata type specimen item data model. See this issue raised in the BHL-Wiki Working Group Github repository. This issue was the inspiration for work undertaken by two members of the BHL-Wiki working group Siobhan Leachman (Ambrosia10), Chair of the BHL-Wiki working group, and Brodie Satherley (Dactylantha) from Auckland War Memorial Museum (an affiliate of BHL).
Siobhan and Brodie created the WikiProject Natural History Specimen Data Model to document this collaboration and proceeded to propose Wikidata properties and create documentation for both a Wikidata type specimen item data model as well as a Wikimedia Commons data model for the structured data that should be attached to specimen images.
They have also created “how to” documentation for both data models, cross walks to the Darwin Core data standard for both models as well as a documentation for an example upload/creation of type specimen Wikidata items undertaken via OpenRefine. All the documentation produced has been shared on Zenodo to expose it to the wider Biodiversity community. The data models, crosswalks and “how to” documentation have also been shared on Wikimedia Commons.
Siobhan and Brodie are grateful for the feedback received from other members of the BHL-Wiki working group as well as the wider Wiki community.
Oulu Löyly
Apply to join Oulu Löyly!
Oulu Löyly – open culture think & do fest takes place in Oulu, Finland on 8–10 June 2026 as part of the Oulu2026 – European Capital of Culture program in the newly renovated Oulu Central Library Saari. It brings together advocates of open culture, policy makers, technologists, researchers and creative thinkers to discuss heritage at risk and the open digital environment.
The goal is to craft actionable digital survival strategies for under-resourced community archives, endangered languages or heritage under threat in the digital era.
The program features a public Open Culture Fair and Oulu Sauna Festival on Monday 8 June, the nightless night, and the intensive think & do workshop on Tuesday–Wednesday 9–10 June.
Nordic Wikimedia and open knowledge meetups take place during the weekend before.
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Oulu Central Library Saari -
Plan of the ground floor of the library
Oulu Central Library Saari
Oulu Central Library Saari is the venue for Oulu Löyly. The library was designed by architects Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen in 1981, and renewed in 2025 by JKMM Architects. It is part of a cultural heritage site of national significance in Finland (RKY). The renovated library reopened to the public in November 2025.
Open Culture Fair
8 June 2026, Central Library Saari
The opening day of Oulu Löyly is an Open Cultural Fair that is open to the public. The participants will share their superpowers: advocate for policies and practices, showcase projects and programs, and run mini workshops introducing their work.
Keynote presentations and the panel discussion outlining the event topics will be streamed online.
Sauna Festival
8 June 2026, Tuira Beach
After a hectic day, the participants will warm up their collaboration at the Oulu Sauna Festival. The event features over ten saunas, including sauna containers and a floating sauna.
Think & do
9–10 June 2026, Central Library Saari
Tuesday
- Making groups – The participants already have a strong sense of each other from the previous day’s program. With a bit of encouragement, those with shared interests can come together and form groups to work toward a common goal.
- Drafting – Planning will be in full thrust before lunch!
- Group work – And after lunch everyone will be fully focused on their work! There are many other spaces around the library where it is possible to work, as well as outside.
- Check-in – We return to the Laituri space for the situation check-in.
- Optional working time – People who wish to continue working after the check-in, can work in the space until the library closes.
Wednesday
- Finalizing group work – There will be a little time to finalize and prepare the presentations.
- Presentations – The results are presented in the Laituri space, and the session is streamed.
- Discussion – After the presentations we will wrap up the work and envision next steps.
Join!
We are inviting GLAM Wikimedians interested in exploring the topic of heritage at risk. Oulu Löyly is free of charge. It includes breakfast, lunch and the sauna festival for the think & do participants, but we cannot offer travel or accommodation support.
Read more about the program and apply to join!
Indigenous languages on the Main Page
This is the eighteenth monthly report of the ongoing work to improve the representation of the UNESCO Memory of the World international register on Wikimedia projects. This is supported and fully funded by the Khalili Foundation, with the involvement of UNESCO and Wikimedia UK.
The Docip article that I created has passed Did You Know review and is scheduled for the front page of English Wikipedia on 15th April. Docip themselves helped by providing two images of their document archive.
The Colección de Lenguas Indígenas article that I created was included in Did You Know for 12 hours on 12 March. There were 6.8 million views of the front page that day, so potentially around 3.4 million people saw the link. The article about the collection had been getting a single-figures number of views per day, but 7,114 readers followed the link from the home page. There were about 100 extra views for each of the linked articles "Memory of the World Programme", "Memory of the World Register - Latin America and the Caribbean" and "Indigenous Languages of the Americas". A volunteer created a new article for Public Library of the State of Jalisco where the collection is housed.
English Wikipedia still refers to the Memory of the World International Register as the "Memory of the World Register", risking confusion with the other registers. Getting this change made, and renaming the several related articles, will require a community decision, for which I have started a discussion.
Another illustration of the power of the Wikidata data set, WQ42 is a natural-language interface to Wikidata. It does not seem to produce lists of heritage from the register, but can answer questions about individual inscriptions. Asked "Where are the Records of the Indian Indentured Labourers located?", it correctly lists the four national archives. Asked "What is the heritage status of the Niśvāsattatvasaṃhitā Manuscript?" it replies "The Niśvāsattatvasaṃhitā Manuscript has the heritage designation of Memory of the World International Register, nominated by Nepal in 2012."
New articles by volunteers
- Italian: Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Ngā Mahara o te Ao
- English: Babad Diponegoro (First article about this topic in any Wikipedia!)
- Modern Greek: The Confederation of Warsaw of 28th of January 1573
- Acehnese: Baysonghor Shahnameh
- Estonian: Terengganu Inscription Stone
View statistics
The Massviews tool reports 3,437,994 page views in March for English Wikipedia articles that link to the Memory of the World International Register.
The GLAMOrgan tool which I use to get image views has stopped working properly: this seems to be a change due to the huge number of requests to Wikimedia servers from AI. There is a more permanent solution for calculating these numbers, but the Wikimedia Foundation has to enable it manually. I have put in a request.
April's GLAM events
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