Submissions:2023/How the Digital Public Library of America is putting American history at Wikipedians' fingertips

This submission has been noted and is pending review for WikiConference North America 2023.

Etherpad

Title:

How the Digital Public Library of America is putting American history at Wikipedians' fingertips

Theme:

Recent Changes, Community Initiatives, GLAM / Heritage / Culture

Type of session:

Lecture

Abstract:

Since 2020, the Digital Public Library of America has uploaded over 3.5 million digitized images from library collections across the United States to Wikimedia Commons. The goal of the project is to make it easier for you the Wikipedian to access and use archival imagery in improving Wikipedia.

Our uploads include items from the colonial era all the way to the COVID era—with photos, maps, periodicals, and many more types of materials. We work with hundreds of institutions across the country, from the largest federal libraries to small town libraries specializing in local history, to bring you very diverse collections.

In this presentation, I will showcase everything that has been made available to Wikimedians to raise awareness of our work and how it can benefit Wikipedians. I will also discuss the project's history, how it works in practice, and how Wikimedians can help get their local library or museum involved. If able to attend, I will co-present with participants of the project who have been using DPLA's images in their own Wikimedia editing.

Author name:

Dominic Byrd-McDevitt

E-mail address:

dominicdp.la

Wikimedia username:

Dominic

Affiliated organization(s):

Digital Public Library of America / Wikimedians of Indiana

Estimated time:

up to 60 minutes

Special requests:

Have you presented on this topic previously? If yes, where/when?:

Not this exact presentation

Okay to livestream?

Livestreaming is okay

If your submission is not accepted, would you be open to presenting your topic in another part of the program? (e.g. lightning talk or unconference session)

yes