Bookshelf Project

Bookshelf Project
Wikipedia ( Education • Media • Companies • Wikipedians )
Other Wikimedia Projects

Welcome to the Bookshelf Project!

As you can see on http://bookshelf.wikimedia.org, this is a project to collect and create high-quality information materials in many languages about Wikipedia and its sister project to make it easier for chapters and volunteers to find material to present to new contributors or non-Wikipedians. All materials are released under a free license, which means that they can be downloaded for free, modified and shared without asking for permission.

The materials are created by volunteers such as you, with the help of the Wikimedia Foundation staff and professional designers. If you want to get involved, you can take many roles.

Ways you can get involved:

	Translate the Bookshelf materials
	Go to the Bookshelf Project page and help keep the pages updated
	Start new Bookshelf material with this process
	Participate in the discussion on the project's talk page
	Spread the materials to people who are not currently editors.

Guiding principles for the project

Usage of open source software tools and resources
All printed materials created as part of the Bookshelf Project have to be made available in electronic file formats that enable volunteers around the globe to update and modify them according to their needs without buying expensive, proprietary software or fonts. In order to allow everyone to add, edit and update the content, all materials will be made available in open source software file formats and only free fonts will be used.
Quality and consistency
All materials will be of high quality and of a consistent visual look-and-feel. High quality both with regard to the content as well as with regard to its presentation will create trust in Wikipedia, but also in the materials themselves. By following “Visual Identity Guidelines for Wikimedia Educational Materials,” people who use Bookshelf items should realize at first glance that they are dealing with a consistent set of learning materials.
Involvement of the community
The project's success is dependent on volunteers using the materials for their own outreach activities. The more the community of active Wikipedia editors gets involved in the production process, the more likely it will be that the volunteers conceive of the materials as “their own.”
Involvement of educational experts
Sample curricula and project ideas for secondary school teachers and university faculty using Wikipedia have to be developed involving the expertise and experiences of chosen members of the target groups for re- use. In order to meet the exact needs of school and university teachers and to be in- line with their day-to-day practices, all materials targeted at educational usage will be the result of a continuous coordination process with practitioners in the field of education.
Internationalization and diversity
In order to ensure a broad and easy replication of the materials in other languages, all examples used in the materials will be either universally valid or easily exchangable. The materials should not reflect the culture and workflows of a particular language edition, but common principles that are applicable to all Wikipedia editions. The video material produced as part of the Bookshelf Project will reflect the diversity of Wikipedia's community.
Portability
Whenever possible, texts and dialogues will be written in plain English to facilitate the translation in other languages.
Free licenses
All materials created within the Bookshelf Project will be published under a free license and without legal restriction relative to people's freedom to use, modify, and to distribute copies and derived works of the content.

Target audience

Deliverables

In development

Completed

Entire list

Deliverable	Purpose	Audience
1. Welcome to Wikipedia	Attract new authors and assist them with their first steps of becoming a “Wikipedian”	New contributors
2. The World of Wikipedia Video	Create excitement about being part of the global Wikimedia/Wikipedia movement	New contributors
3. Wikipedia User Testimonial Video	Give Wikipedia a human face/attract new contributors by examples of people who already contribute/ persuade by real-life arguments(“the moment in my life when I became a Wikipedian”)	New contributors
4. Anatomy of an Article (Poster)	Visualize the different parts of a Wikipedia article to make it easier to understand	New contributors
5. Introduction to Free Licenses	Explain the basics of free licenses and their purpose	New contributors
6. Ten good reasons to contribute to Wikipedia	Convince people to contribute by highlighting reasons to contribute	New contributors
7. Ten ways to contribute to Wikipedia	Convince people to contribute by highlighting how to contribute	New contributors
8. Wikipedia for Journalists	Answer the most common questions about Wikipedia and explain norms of conduct, including the issue around quality assurance and deletions	Journalists
9. Wikipedia for Marketing Communications Professionals	Answer the most common questions about Wikipedia and explain norms of conduct, including the issue around quality assurance and deletions	Marketing communications professionals
10. “Only Verifiable Information” / “Neutral Point of View” Video	Explain basic concepts/policies of Wikipedia	All
11. Using Wikipedia	Teach students media literacy with regard to Wikipedia	Secondary school students and journalists
12. Using Wikipedia as a teaching tool in higher education	Overview of how to integrate Wikipedia editing into the classroom	University professors
13. Localization Guidelines	Overview of how to use the Bookshelf materials; editorial and visual design guidelines	Wikipedians
14. Train-the-Trainer Screencast Series	Series of screencasts showing how to create screencasts to add to the Bookshelf collection	Wikipedians
15. Wikipedia Overview Presentation	Slides community members can use in presentations	Wikipedians
16. Short URL Bookmarks	Bookmarks for printing on cardstock and cutting for handouts: editing, uploading pictures, asking reference questions, and donating	New contributors, All
17. Organizing Meetups	Some patterns to organize meetups of Wikipedians, a German perspective. Slides of a lightning talk that User:Elya presented at 2008's Wikimania in Alexandria.	Meetup organizers and participants

Schedule

Editorial style guidelines

Resources

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Bookshelf Production Survey

The results of the Bookshelf Production Survey are available online. The survey was conducted among the 22 Wikimedia chapters around the globe in December 2009. It gives us important information about the chapter's print production skills and capacities and helps us to ensure the materials are easy to adapt and implement for the chapters' needs.

Other pages

Instructional material (on English Wikipedia)

Ideas for Reorganizing Materials