Wikipedia:GLAM/Thinktank

Andy Mabbett, User:Pigsonthewing, is Wikipedian in Residence at the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, part of Birmingham Museums Trust.

Introduction[edit]

A Wikipedian in residence is an experienced Wikipedian (or Wikimedian), who works as such, inside an institution, much like an artist in residence.

This means that Andy is paid by the Trust, to act as an advocate among its staff, partner organisations, members, and the general public, to encourage them to improve the coverage of the museums collections and related subjects in Wikipedia, its sister projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, and other initiatives with an "open content" ethos, and to engage with - and support the work of - the Wikipedia community.

Among other things, this may involve:

Explaining what "open content" means in this context, what the projects are, and how they work
Supporting existing contributors to the projects, in improving coverage of relvant content
Training people to edit Wikipedia and other projects
Advocating and explaining the use of open licences
Running public engagement events, such as editathons
Giving talks to interested groups
Speaking at conferences
Writing guest blog posts or articles
Encouraging the use of Wikimedia projects in education
Acting as a liaison between interested parties
Encouraging the reuse of content from the projects
Deploying existing Wikimedia projects, such as voice recording article subjects and QRpedia

Activities[edit]

Andy is working one day per week (on average, actual days vary). A project diary will note headline events and milestones.

We held our first editathon on 7 March 2015.

We will be holding our second editathon on 28 May 2015. All welcome, but booking essential!

Articles[edit]

Key articles[edit]

Articles needed[edit]

For a list of articles we've created or improved; see the project diary.

We could write articles about any of the following, but check they meet the notability criteria:

Exhibits[edit]

William Murdoch's steam carriage (split from William Murdoch)

Related[edit]

Webster's Patent Aluminium Company and/ or John Webster (industrialist)
William Thomas Blackband [2]
Webb Corbett - glasmakers of Stourbridge
Keystone (glassmakers) - makers of codd bottles
Bakelite Limited - split from Bakelite (which is about the material)
- Constituent companies
Birmingham Aluminium Castings - company (aka Birmal)
Henry and Theophilus Merry - jewellers
- Later Merry and Company
Boulton and Fothergill
Grazebrook beam engine - see File:Grazebrook Beam Engine.jpg
Ralph Heaton & Sons - split from Birmingham Mint?
- Ralph Heaton II (currently a redirect)
- Ralph Heaton III (currently a redirect)
- Ralph Heaton IV (currently a redirect)
Birmingham Advertising Tablet Company
Midland Electricity Corporation (File:MEC (2295760241).jpg)
T. A. Savery and Company - see Thomas Savery
Witton Tram Depot (currently a redirect)
Bellis and Seeking, makers of Secundus for the Furzebrook Railway
Minworth Sewage Works, Birmingham, Tame and Rea District Drainage Board and/ or Birmingham, Tame and Rea District Drainage Board Railway - narrow-gauge railway network; locomotive (1961S01403.0000) is in collection; out on loan. See also: [3], [4] [5] (open licence pic) [6] [7] [8][9]
- Add to W. G. Bagnall#Preservation; Abbey Pumping Station.
Bob Lawrence (silversmith) - was 'in residence' at Thinktank
Easton & Amos - makers of the museum's Amos Gas Engine (1956S00610)
Thomas Fattorini Ltd - badge & medal makers
Robert William Chase (1852-1927) - [10]
W.O. Lewis (Badges) Limited [11]
W Reeves & Co (badge makers)

Articles to improve[edit]

Thinktank, Birmingham
- Elkington Silver Electroplating Works
- Millennium Point (Birmingham)
Birmingham Museum Collection Centre
Longstone Lighthouse - expand section on Chance Bros optics
List of surviving Supermarine Spitfires
- add service history of Thinktank's example; determine where the rest were built (specifically, which were built at Castle Bromwich)
- add info on wooden elevators
Parkesine - expand, describe chemistry
J Hudson & Co
Ruston, Proctor and Company - add section on railway locos
Georgie Gaskin
Hozelock - expand
Chad Valley (toy brand) - expand
Bernard Cuzner - expand
J. Lancaster & Son - expand
Coronet Camera Company - expand
Bulpitt & Sons - expand
Léonard Morel-Ladeuil - add details of work with/ for Elkington
Chad Valley (toy brand) - expand
T. W. Camm - expand
Florence Camm - expand

Wikidata[edit]

For all of the above; check that Wikidata items exist, and are correctly populated.

Templates[edit]

Categories[edit]

Commons:Category:Thinktank, Birmingham

Shortcuts[edit]

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