During the month of October 2018, Wikimedia Canada will host its National Contribution Month where contribution events are organised in different locations across Canada. The goal is to initiate visitors in contributing to Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects and bring existing editors together.
Contribution days are activities where Wikimedia's contributors, students, or anybody interested in contributing to Wikimedia projects meet up to collectively improve a predetermined theme. These meetings generally take place in a library where references are easy to access, but can be organised in any public community space. We hope you will join us in bringing the Canadian Wikimedia community together!
Please join us on the talk page to see if anybody else is already discussing organizing one in your region, or volunteer to organize your own event (experienced Wikipedians can help you with that).
For a city to be in the list, there must first be a person who shows interest to organize an event in his or her hometown. It's very simple! Simply find a room for people to meet. A library, a community hall, meeting room, etc.
How do I start an event in my city?
Start a discussion on the talk page in English and / or French, there you can find help and potential participants.
Find a room with free Wi-Fi. Libraries are good choices because they are freely available to people for working purposes, and are places where Wi-Fi and documentation is accessible.
Find a topic or theme that participants can choose articles to create or improve. See an example.
Add your event to the list of locations above. From the end of September, the organizers will launch a national advertising campaign that will invite contributors to join one of the events (or start a new one).
How do I find people in my area to participate?
First, add your date and place in the table above. There is a good chance that people join in. You must take the first step and declare the location where you are, otherwise it is unlikely that you will find people!
The organizers will start a communication campaign in early September: social networks, network education and libraries, banners (CentralNotice) on the pages of Wikipedia and sister projects, etc.
Another effective way is to communicate with an organization related to your theme. For example, you live in Caraquet your theme is Acadia, contact The Acadian Museum of Caraquet or francophone association, etc. These organizations have many contacts and will be delighted to support your Contribution day.
Does the event space have to be a library?
No, an event can be organized anywhere, it is at the discretion of the organizer. We suggest that the event take place in a library because references and documentation are easily accessible and free Wi-Fi is typically available. In addition, the library can make available to its members small workplaces for free.
However, an event can be organized anywhere, in any space large enough to accommodate a group, such as in a university, a community hall, cafe, etc. The important thing is that the room is suitable for group work and has Wi-Fi.
Should we meet on the spot to participate?
It is not mandatory. Although one of the objectives is to physically meet other local Wikipedians, a contributor may participate to an event remotely, either because they live too far or they are otherwise unable to attend. In this case, if the planned topic is of interest, the participant can join a virtual event remotely via the Wikimedia Canada chat room.
Can I organize a private event?
Yes. You are a group of friends, if you want to gather in a café or at home, no problem. But please still add your event to the table and write "private" in the column Location. This will allow people to know about your topic / date and possibly help online. This will also enable national organizers be aware of your work group and evaluate the number of participants across the country.
I'm not a Wikipedia editor, can I join an event?
Yes. There will be on-site experienced Wikipedians who can guide you through your first steps. One of the objectives of contributory days is to introduce new contributors to the edition of the encyclopedia.
Can I choose an article myself?
Yes. To avoid edit conflicts, it is recommended that participants do not all work on the same article, although it is possible to work on different sections. This is why the event organizers chose a theme containing several possible articles. But a participant may choose to work an article of their choice out of the main theme if they prefer.
Are image contributions accepted?
Yes. During your research, you may find an image (acceptable on Commons) that relates directly or indirectly to your theme, do not hesitate to scan and upload it. Most libraries and universities have scanners that you can use. There are also numerous online resources such as the National Archives website, directories of images such as Flickr, Picasa, etc.. Make sure, however, that these images are freely licensed.
Can I contribute to a sister project of Wikipedia?
Yes. Wikipedia is best known, but if the theme of your group is related to a sister project, you can also help with images on Commons, write a news article on Wikinews, Wikisource transcribing manuscripts, etc.
![link=https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/wikipedia-contribution-2018-wikimedia-canada_242191#4etmap.fr/en/map/wikipedia-contribution-2018-wikimedia-canada_242191#4/53.57/-79.98 See workshops on a map].](/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Canada_Contribution_Month_-_Canada.jpg)