Summary
The Wikimedian in Residence (WiR) will serve as a key link between the National Book Council (NBC) and the Wikimedia community. The WiR will focus on improving and expanding public access to information about Maltese literature and culture on Wikimedia platforms (including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata). In addition, the WiR will work with NBC staff, stakeholders, and volunteers to share their skills in using Wikipedia as a tool for outreach, education, and preservation of Malta’s literary heritage.
Purpose
To facilitate and develop a sustainable relationship between the National Book Council (NBC), Wikimedia Community Malta (WCM), and Wikimedia community through a range of activities, both internal and public-facing. The main elements of the job will be outreach to experts and broad audiences linked to the book industry in Malta (with special focus on the National Book Prize), advocacy about open knowledge, and support of improvement of the Wikimedia projects’ content. This is a unique role that seeks to combine the expertise of an experienced Wikipedia editor with the goals of the National Book Council to promote Maltese literature, language, and culture.
Duties and responsibilities
- Managing a programme of activities: design and manage a programme of activities to improve collaboration between National Book Council, Wikimedia Community Malta and Wikimedia community – potentially leading to a sustainable relationship and joint projects in the future. Do this in collaboration with NBC’s staff, partner organisations and volunteers from the global Wikimedia movement. Establish links between NBC staff, Wikimedia volunteers and others, helping NBC with Wikimedia volunteer engagement. So, essentially, organize and conduct workshops and training sessions for National Book Council staff, volunteers, and the literary community on how to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms.
- Engaging with Wikimedia community: help organise and host other Wikimedia related events for members of the public, Wikimedians, researchers, etc – such as workshops, editathons, meetups, etc.
- Content improvement facilitation: work with staff to identify areas of Wikipedia and sister projects (eg. Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, etc.) that could be enriched with resources and knowledge from the NBC’s repositories. Identify opportunities for content improvement/image releases. Support the delivery of possible media releases.
- Content improvement facilitation (training) and possible editor recruitment: organise and host workshops for NBC staff and volunteers to enable them to directly contribute their knowledge and expertise to develop Wikipedia articles. Provide training on Wikimedia editing, best practice and Wikimedia volunteer engagement.
- Advocacy: be an advocate for open knowledge within NBC, for example by providing advice on possible changes to NBC’s policies (e.g. Access and Reuse of Digital Collections), systems or processes which would allow greater collaboration between Wikimedia platforms and NBC.
- Reporting: produce brief ongoing updates (monthly, or as agreed) and a final summary report on the outcomes of the residency. This is intended to keep track of contributions and project progress, document key milestones, and partnerships.
- Digital Preservation and Licensing: Ensure that all contributions, images, and resources shared on Wikimedia platforms are properly licensed for open-access, while advocating for open access and digital preservation of Maltese literary works and archives.
Specifications
Skills/Abilities
- Wikipedia Expertise: Proven experience in editing and creating Wikipedia pages and/or Wikidata items, with a solid understanding of Wikimedia’s content policies, notability guidelines, and copyright rules, is essential.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in using Wikimedia platforms (minimum: Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata).
- Training Experience: Experience conducting educational or training workshops is highly desirable. The ability to teach others how to use Wikimedia tools and platforms is essential.
- Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Maltese, with the ability to present workshops and work collaboratively with diverse groups.
- Research Skills: Strong research capabilities with experience in using academic and acknowledged public resources to verify and source information.
- Collaboration & Networking: Ability to build partnerships with literary and cultural institutions, as well as local and international Wikimedia communities.
Desired Attributes
- A commitment to promoting open knowledge and access to information.
- Interest in digital literacy, preservation, and cultural heritage.
- Ability to work independently and take initiative on projects.
Knowledge
- An understanding of and empathy for Wikimedia Community Malta’s mission to help people and organisations build and preserve open knowledge to share and use freely. Understanding of the global Wikimedia movement mission.
- Good understanding of the activities and projects of NBC and of the culture and aims of the book publishing sector.
- A passion for and deep knowledge of Maltese literary culture, authors, and publishers is considered an asset.
- Understanding of issues related to copyright and intellectual property rights.
Experience
It is expected that the Wikimedian in Residence will have up-to-date experience in the following:
- Editing Wikipedia and/or its sister projects, especially Wikidata.
- Working with the Wikimedia community, either locally, elsewhere, or both.
- Basic office IT packages; open-source software would be welcomed.
- Working effectively within an office environment, developing professional partnerships.
- Successfully meeting deadlines.
- Delivering training to others, including via online events.
Other Factors
- Share Wikimedia’s values and act as an advocate for its mission and ethos.
- Commitment to open knowledge, open-source movement, and transparent working practices.
- Collaborative, teamwork attitude.
Application Process
Please submit your CV, cover letter, and examples of previous Wikipedia contributions, including your Wikimedia username, to applywikimalta.org by Friday 31 January 2025 at noon. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview during the first week of February where they will be asked to demonstrate their Wikipedia editing skills and/or knowledge of Wikidata. It is envisioned that the selected candidate will start no later than the end of February.