Open-source platforms are transforming how knowledge is shared in a world where information is often locked behind paywalls or restricted access, making it more accessible and inclusive. On December 3rd, 2024, the African Wikipedian Alliance (AWA) hosted an insightful meetup for its Francophone community, focusing on Wikisource and its role in preserving and distributing public domain texts. The session led by Jean de Dieu NAHIMANA, a Journalist at Radio Indundi Culture (Burundi) and working group member of African Wikipedian Alliance, and facilitated by Dalilah Yaro, the Community coordinator of COPP, CfA, brought together Wikimedia volunteers, project leads, and contributors from Niger, Burundi, Cameroon, Madagascar, and C?te d’Ivoire, to explore how Wikisource contributes to the open sharing of literary, historical, and scientific works. Participants were equipped with the skills to contribute to this invaluable digital library, advancing the mission of free knowledge across the Francophone region.
Key Highlights
Wikisource: Introduction and Navigation
In the first part of the session, Jean de Dieu NAHIMANA introduced attendees to Wikisource, explaining its unique role as a free digital library launched by the Wikimedia Foundation in 2003. Unlike platforms like Wikipedia which focuses on creating articles, Wikisource focuses on preserving and distributing public domain texts, including literary, historical, and scientific documents. He then provided a practical demonstration of how to navigate the platform’s user interface, sharing key tips on how to search for texts and browse through the various categories and collections available.
Using Wikisource in Education
A significant portion of the session was dedicated to exploring how Wikisource can be used in educational settings. Jean de Dieu highlighted the platform’s potential as a resource for students, educators, and researchers, providing access to a wide range of public domain works that can support learning and research. Participants learned how Wikisource can be utilized in schools and universities to make historical, scientific, and literary texts more accessible. He emphasized the importance of promoting free access to knowledge and how Wikisource can be a powerful tool in academic and educational contexts.
Practical Activity: Editing on Wikisource
The session concluded with a hands-on activity where participants were shown how to edit and contribute to Wikisource. Jean de Dieu led a step-by-step tutorial on how to add texts, format them, and edit existing content. This practical session gave participants the confidence to contribute to Wikisource and expand its growing library of free knowledge. By the end of the session, participants had a clearer understanding of the platform and how they could help improve the accuracy and quality of the texts hosted there.
Conclusion
By providing attendees with the tools to navigate and contribute to Wikisource, AWA continues its mission to foster Francophone participation in Wikimedia projects and expand access to free knowledge. For those who missed the session, a recorded version is now available on the community programs page. Stay tuned for more upcoming AWA Francophone webinars and continue contributing to the growth of Wikisource. Don’t forget to register for upcoming CfA WiR bi-weekly webinars to join our growing community and shape Africa’s digital presence on Wikimedia!
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