Hola! From a non-Wikipedian Wikimedian - in Edinburgh - who is delighted
with the response from some tentative outreach work.
I spend around an hour this morning touring Edingburgh's Central Library
with Fiona Myles, took around 150 photos of the interior of the
building, and _hope_ I've laid the groundwork for us to work far more
closely in future.
I have, dependent on copyright, a verbal agreement to get high-res scans
of the plans of the building (A Carnegie Library), a keen interest to
have librarians briefed on Wikipedia - if not outright encouraged to
contribute, and the possibility of running recruitment/induction
sessions in Edinburgh. Which, for the unwashed masses, is a UNESCO City
of Literature.
Given the piss-poor representation up here in Scotland, I think that's a
major win. My next job, as interim 'cowboy liasion' between Wikimedia UK
and Museums Galleries Scotland is to get a few councillors calling for
all publicly funded publications to be under a CC-BY license.
Any, and all, encouragement welcome. Any Englandshire Wikimedians wh
plan to visit Edingburgh in the next 6-12 months, please feel free to
drop me a mail. If I can get you meetings with people, or privileged
access for photography, I will.
Fun and frivolity aside, with limited Internet access I've come to the
conclusion that public libraries are the way to recruit. Brief the staff
of what makes a good Wikipedia article - half of them know already -
then a simple static display may encourage locals to try their hand.
Here in Edinburgh I suspect I can, without too many problems, get
articles put into about a half-dozen languages with keen help from
library staff.
And this message's title? Purloined from a book on the city's libraries.
Brian McNeil
--
Wikinews, Accredited Reporter. Personal: brian.mcneil(a)o2.co.uk
"Facts don't cease to be facts, but news ceases to be news."