Hello from Wikimedia UK!
As a chapter we have run the Wikimedian in Residence (WIR) programme since May 2012, when Andrew Gray started his residency at the British Library. In November 2012 we ran a call for applications to attract institutions wanting to host a Wikimedian in Residence. Please see this and this for more information. We received a good response of 15 applications, from which we chose, in the first tranche:
  • Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums (March-June ‘13)
  • Science Museum, then combined with
  • Natural History Museum (March ‘13 - January ‘14)
  • National Library of Scotland (July ’13 - Feb ‘14, extended)
National Library of Scotland had a delayed start, which then overlapped with the Second tranche of institutions:
  • York Museums Trust (October ‘13 - April ‘14)
  • The Royal Society (January ‘14 - June ‘14 approx. - deferred from the October ‘13 start)
All these organisations belong to the cultural sector, but this is not a requirement of the programme. We also set up a Jisc Wikimedia Ambassador (July ‘13 - April ‘14) which follows some of the elements of the WIR model.

We have now agreed to reflect on the programme’s successes and challenges through a review.

The WIR programme has been seen as one of the key ways we can engage with external organisations, extending our scale of activities and outreach. These residencies are often a considerable investment for WMUK (£2-8K) and need to deliver a meaningful impact.

We would like to see what the UK community thinks of the programme so far - you are now invited to take part in the survey that will form the first part of the review. Your answers will be an important element of influencing the future of the programme.

If you are not based in the UK, you are still welcome to comment - but we are most interested in what our community thinks of the programme.

Your privacy is important to us. We will not share your identifiable responses. Anything reported will be in the form of an anonymous statistics about the group of responses. By answering these questions, you permit us to record your responses.

Question Title

* 1. What do you see is the biggest benefit of the Wikimedian in Residence programme?

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