Join librarians at Oregon State University on April 21 from 1:00 - 4:00 to create and improve Wikipedia articles about books! We will focus our efforts on improving the coverage of award-winning books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) authors.

Everyone is welcome! If you're new to Wikipedia editing, we suggest attending a Zoom training. For more information, see below, ANYONE CAN EDIT WIKIPEDIA.

Millions of people benefit from information about books across Wikimedia projects. Quality Wikipedia book articles recap plots; summarize professional reviews, literary criticism, and public reception; and list awards received. Among those who benefit are the professions associated with books including authors, librarians, publishers, editors, translators, and booksellers. A quality article minimizes the investigative efforts required by readers and professionals to learn about a book. Librarians benefit when reviews are not behind paywalls, independent booksellers benefit when they can easily find book summaries, and publishers benefit when they can learn how their publications are being received around the world.

Wikipedia articles about books are read millions of times every year; for example, over the past 90 days in English Wikipedia Their Eyes Were Watching God was viewed 69,000 times; in Spanish Wikipedia Como agua para chocolate was viewed 25,000 times (Like Water for Chocolate in English: 28,000 times); and in Portuguese Wikipedia O Alquimista was viewed 10,000 times (The Alchemist in English: 198,000 times).

This OSU editathon event, Editing for Equity, is part of a larger Wikimedia campaign taking place in various locations around the world during the month of April. The #EveryBookItsReader campaign is focused on improving quality coverage of books, literature, and oral stories in Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia.

Are you new to editing Wikipedia? Interested in signing up for a username and getting some editing experience before the OSU editathon?

Join us for small-group personalized training! Training will be offered twice, via Zoom, before the editathon and registration for each group will be limited to five.

• Register for training with Diana Park, OSU Librarian, on Tuesday, April 11 at 1:30pm Pacific Time. (A Zoom link will be sent to you along with your registration confirmation).
• Register for training with Laurie Bridges, OSU Librarian, on Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 pm Pacific Time. 

We will provide everything you need at the editathon! Including snacks! But if you have a laptop, please bring it.

We are compiling a list of book articles that need to be created or improved. Please let us know if there are award-winning books that should be added.

If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Bridges, Laurie.Bridges@Oregonstate.edu.

• Accommodations related to a disability for this event should be made by a week before the event to OSU Libraries & Press via Angela.Haney@oregonstate.edu, 541-737-1350 or via LibraryAccommodations@oregonstate.edu.