Internal:Cultural Partnerships Coordinator

Status: Historical

The following represents my personal proposal for the creation of a Wikimedia DC Cultural Partnerships Coordinator. It is being presented so that the community and Board can respond to the idea. Dominic (talk) 17:17, 9 January 2013 (EST)

Starting in January 2013, there is neither a Cultural Partnerships Fellow (Liam Wyatt, 2011) or a US Cultural Partnerships Coordinator (Lori Byrd Phillips, 2012) any longer, and the Wikimedia Foundation plans for the Wikimedia community and chapters to take over more GLAM-Wiki responsibilities rather than continue to fund such positions. This leaves the United States especially lacking much leadership for GLAM projects unless the existing chapters step up. In the United States, the DC area is represents the best opportunity for better coordination on a local level, with a thriving chapter capable of supporting GLAM activities and the most fertile region in the country of interested institutions.

Rationale

The idea of a chapter-level Wikimedia DC Cultural Partnerships Coordinator is based on similar positions that other chapters have created. At least half a dozen other chapters have created some type of centralized GLAM position, including the recent staff position created by WMUK (yet to be filled). At Wikimania DC, a panel of 7 national GLAM coordinators presented on the subject, identifying several reasons the role is useful for chapters:

• Accumulated wisdom and best practices can pass from one project to the next
• One recognizable contact person for GLAMs, as well as for the community
• Speaking to / negotiating with GLAMs with a coherent voice before a Wikipedian in Residence is found (or when a WiR is not part of the partnership)
• Helps ensure GLAM projects are in line with WMDC’s goals. Having a WM contact person helps WiR focus on the work itself and leave all the technicalities (and politics) to someone else.
• Crucial when WiR has the wiki-know-how and is familiar with the subject, but lacks assertiveness or does not feel comfortable advancing the project, making contacts, representing the community in partnership negotiations, or communicating with the rest of the world [personality, maturity, languages, know-how of sister-wikis].
• Coordinator serves as networker / connecting institutions with appropriate Wikipedians who can assist technically or in outreach.

The role envisioned for WMDC is not a paid staff position like other chapters have tried, but would share many of the same advantages as those above. A formal chapter-level facilitator will allow WMDC to keep tabs on and properly document/promote GLAM-Wiki activities in its area while providing institutions with a level of professionalism, by correspondence with an official WMDC representative. And such communications which are facilitated by a chapter representative will be tracked so that they can be followed through on without relying on individual community members to take their own initiative. By being a volunteer devoting only a few hours a week to the role, the coordinator would also not risk de-incentivizing the core Wikipedia volunteer community, as has sometimes been a concern. The specific responsibilities for the coordinator and chapter would be modest for now.

Coordinator responsibilities

• Being a point of contact for DC-area cultural institutions and professionals looking for guidance from Wikimedia
• Facilitating communication and sharing of best practices among professionals and Wikipedians and between the two groups
• Helping to initiate and evaluate partnerships between institutions and Wikimedia DC, as appropriate, in the interest of the chapter's goals and the Wikimedia movement as a whole
• Serve as the bridge between the chapter/DC Wikimedian community and the global GLAM-Wiki community

WMDC responsibilities

• Formal chapter recognition of the position in order to allow coordinator to act as its representative in dealings with GLAMs
• A @wikimediadc.org contact address (business cards?) to project officiality
• Coordinator participation in WMDC policy/funding discussions where relevant to GLAM-Wiki