Empowering African Libraries through Wikimedia Projects for Knowledge Equity

AfLIA receives grant to implement IWIPALE project

October 8, 2024

The African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) is proud to announce the receipt of a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation, under the Knowledge Equity Fund (KEF), to implement the IWIPALE project – Integrating Wikimedia Projects into African Libraries’ Ecosystem. This 12-month project, starting this year, aims to explore and develop lasting models that leverage on the synergy of library services and Wikimedia projects to provide enhanced service delivery to African patrons, promote open knowledge practices and increase African representation in global knowledge networks.

AfLIA, the umbrella body representing the library sector across 34 African countries, has been at the forefront of spearheading transformative initiatives within the African library and information science community. Through its ongoing collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation, AfLIA has successfully launched key projects such as the Wikipedia in African Libraries course, aimed at introducing African librarians to the collaborative power of creating open knowledge. To a large extent, the course has increased African contributions and the quality of African content on Wikipedia, and empowered African librarians to become participants in the global knowledge ecosystem.

In addition, we have implemented the AfLIA Wikidata Online Course, which has equipped librarians with the skills to make their information resources more visible and accessible to a global audience. AfLIA has also been training and leading African librarians and allied professionals to contribute to the 1Lib1Ref campaign through the annual African Librarians Week campaigns. These training programs have laid a strong foundation, but AfLIA acknowledges that more work is required to fully leverage Wikimedia tools, such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, WikiCommons, and Wikisource etc., to transform library services across Africa. AfLIA aims to enhance access to knowledge, improve representation of African content, and create sustainable models for knowledge sharing in the digital age by exploring working approaches that can seamlessly facilitate the integration of these tools into routine library operations. The IWIPALE project will enable AfLIA to address some of the key challenges in this area.

First, the project will revisit the Authority Control (AC) construct in Wikidata and Wikipedia. Currently, the AC template directs readers of African content to national libraries outside of Africa for ‘validation.’ Through this grant, and in partnership with Wikimedia Deutschland, AfLIA will develop a model for African National Libraries to create semantic Authority Control for their resources using Wikibase. This will allow African libraries to link their resources to African content on Wikidata and Wikipedia, ensuring greater visibility and accessibility.

Second, the project will AfLIA will organize a series of Virtual Conversations to explore innovative strategies for integrating Wikimedia projects into routine library services. This will be complemented by a continental-wide survey to gather ideas and perspectives from library stakeholders on the same subject matter. The findings from the survey and the virtual conversations will culminate in a white paper that will outline effective models for incorporating Wikimedia tools into library services. Ultimately, the project is expected to lead to a shift towards knowledge equity and ensuring that African knowledge is not only preserved but also celebrated and accessible globally.

AfLIA sees this as a refreshing opportunity for the African library and information science sector to explore and test new possibilities for enhancing library services and ensuring the equitable distribution of knowledge across the continent and the world. All stakeholders are encouraged to come on board!!

To learn more about the Knowledge Equity Fund (KEF) and the other Round 3 grantees, read this article – Announcing the newest round of Knowledge Equity Fund grantees.