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Wikipedia:Meetup/University of Maryland Edit-A-Thon

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McKeldin Library
McKeldin Library

We would like to invite you to our Wikipedia Loves Humanities Edit-a-thon on Tuesday, October 16th from 3:30-6:00 PM on the second floor of McKeldin Library (on the campus of University of Maryland, College Park).


Focus edit

Tuesday, October 16th, is Ada Lovelace Day, in honor of Lord Byron's daughter, who is often recognized as the first computer programmer. To celebrate code as a child of poetry, we have organized a Wikipedia Loves Humanities Edit-a-Thon from 3:30-6:00pm in the Learning Commons on the second floor of McKeldin Library at the University of Maryland. We would love to see students, staff, librarians, faculty, Wikipedians, and all interested parties there, whether to admire your Wikipedian prowess or to help you make your first edit. Our goal is to improve and expand humanities content on Wikipedia, but all expertise is welcome.

We will provide brief instructions and support as needed so that the primary focus of our event will be on the editing.

FAQs edit

Do I have to register to attend, or can I just arrive on the day?
Anyone who wants to attend can do so with or without RSVP, although rsvp is desirable so we know how many to expect.
Do I have to be a member of Wikimedia DC?
No, this event is open to everyone.
Do I have to be a University of Maryland student?
No, we want any and everyone who has something to offer to be in attendance.
Can I bring my camera?
Yes, please do, you can take photos of the collections!
Do I have to own/bring a laptop?
No, there are computers you can check out from the library.
Do I need a Wikipedia account to edit?
No; you can edit without an account, however, we recommend that you register so that you can keep track of your contributions to the digital public sphere. Learn how to create your own identity!

Your First Edit edit

  1. If you would like to, create an account and set up your user page.
  2. Choose a topic you are interested in editing. We have a list of suggestions below.
    --Or, browse Wikipedia's list of articles that need help. See: Community Portal.
  3. Read through your article. Look for areas that need copy-editing or further content development. See the article's Talk page for ideas and interaction with other editors working on that article.
  4. Make an edit. Click the edit link at the upper right corner of any section of an article, or the Edit tab at the top of the Page. Wiki markup is simple enough that you can figure out a lot by example, but you might also want to refer to an overview of wiki markup from time to time.
  5. Cite your sources. If you don't cite verifiable sources, your contributions will be challenged and deleted by other editors.
  6. Don't plagiarize. Plagiarized material will also be challenged and deleted.
  7. Keep it balanced and backed up. This encyclopedia's editorial policy emphasizes writing from a neutral point of view and forbids original research.
  8. Don't hesitate to ask Wikipedians at the edit-a-thon for help, ideas, and advice!

Editing Possibilities edit

There are many ways to contribute to Wikipedia. Lots of new editors start with small copy edits and contribute more content as they gain confidence and familiarity with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. Some editors dive right into activities like recent changes patrol and participation in editorial and organizational processes. As you think about what to do first, consider the following:

Light edits would be things like copy editing for:

  • Typos
  • Grammar
  • Spelling

Heavy edits would be things like:

  • Adding to articles that need substantial additions
  • Revisions / rewording
  • Adding missing references

Remember that every bit helps. For more information on how to edit pages marked "Copy Edit" please reference the Wikipedia Editor's Copy Guild.

See also: How to Edit a Wikipedia Article

Translation Resources edit

The largest Wikipedia is written in English and it currently contains more than 4,000,000 articles; other languages like Spanish have 900,000 articles; Chinese, 500,000; French, 1,200,000... Wikipedia is a community committed to including all languages, so translation projects and cross-language editing are encouraged. Do you know any languages to contribute?

Also note:

  • If you are a beginner and want to edit or translate an article, visit Translate us.
  • If you are a more experienced Wikipedian and you'd like to start a project, visit this site Language proposal policy.
  • The main central place for the coordination of all the Wikimedia projects (in any language) is Meta-Wiki.
  • The mailing list to coordinate Wikipedia across different languages is Wikipedia-l.
  • The URL of the Wikipedia for a given language is xx.wikipedia.org, where xx is the 2-letter language code as per ISO 639.

Research Resources edit

Resources at UMD edit

This section lists databases and other resources available to editors at the University of Maryland. You must be on campus, or logged in via Research Port, to use these resources.

Reference Works edit

  • Credo Reference - Online versions of 500+ published reference works from over 70 publishers, including general and specialist dictionaries and encyclopedias.
  • Reference Universe - Provides single search access to more than 43,000 specialized subject encyclopedias and scholarly compendia.
  • Oxford English Dictionary - Online version of the comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Traces the development of English from approximately 1150 AD up to present day. Includes many varieties of English.
  • Oxford African American Studies Center - Includes the full electronic text of major reference works on the African American experience, including Africana; Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895; Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present; African American National Biography, and more.
  • Oxford Art Online - Includes the full electronic text of The Grove Dictionary of Art, the standard reference work in art/art history.
  • Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - Biographies of more than 50,000 noteworthy people, no longer living, who inhabited or were connected with the British Isles. Portraits included for more than 10,000 entries.
  • Oxford Language Dictionaries Online - A set of online bilingual dictionaries including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.
  • Oxford Music Online - Provides full-text access to the following standard reference sources: The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, and The Oxford Companion to Music.

Databases edit

Databases contain citations to books, book chapters, scholarly journal articles, dissertations & theses, reviews, and more in specific subject areas. Looking for a general, multidisciplinary database? Try Academic Search Premier

Free Web Resources edit

Suggested Articles to Edit edit

Humanities-related articles that need editing. Organized into two categories; light (copy editing, grammar, spelling), and heavy (needs substantial additions, revisions, or references).

American Culture

Art

Communication

Dance

English

History

Language & Linguistics

Literature

Music

Philosophy

Theatre

Sign Up edit

Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend!

Attending Oct. 16 edit

Maybe edit

  • (Maybe your name here)

Apologies edit

  • (We hope to see you next time!)
  • Djembayz (talk) 22:55, 9 October 2012 (UTC) Needs to be evening for me that day, so if a longer session, let me know.[reply]
  • Gyrofrog (talk) 14:31, 10 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Getting There edit

The McKeldin Library is located in the center of campus on the McKeldin Mall. These maps offer a closer look:

Campus map: http://www.lib.umd.edu/binaries/content/gallery/public/mckeldin/map.png (Building 035)
Library map: http://www.lib.umd.edu/binaries/content/assets/public/mckeldin/mckeldinmap.pdf
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