Wikidata is a free, open, and multilingual knowledge base that serves as the structured data for Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Staff at many libraries, archives, and museums have found that Wikidata provides an accessible method of making information about collections and resources available as linked open data, which in turn enables greater discoverability, new audiences, and innovative forms of research.
This panel will feature case studies from art institutions where Wikidata projects are underway. Many of the featured projects will highlight the use of Wikidata for identity management, such for artist names, both as an alternative to and alongside vocabularies traditionally used in art information. Panelists will speak to how their respective Wikidata projects support the interests of researchers and broader institutional efforts. Together, the presented projects will demonstrate how Wikidata’s relatively low barrier to entry allow institutions to connect data that might otherwise be siloed in local repositories.
Mix‘n’Match-ing Artist Names at the Frick Art Reference LibraryKarly Wildenhaus, New York Public Library
From Invisible to Visible: Evans-Tibbs Artists Wikidata ProjectSoo Bae, National Gallery of Art
Culture, Function, Materials: Translating the Dumbarton Oaks Museum Collections into WikidataBettina Smith, Dumbarton Oaks
Stephanie Caruso, Dumbarton Oaks
Working toward a Wikibase: Smithsonian Libraries Arts Wikidata ProjectsAnne Evenhaugen, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Sponsored by School of Information Studies, Dominican University
