Illinois Tech Celebrates Notable Women in STEM History with Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon
Galvin Library Hosts Event on March 26 to Increase Coverage of Underrepresented Groups Online
Illinois Tech鈥檚 Paul V. Galvin Library is celebrating Women鈥檚 History Month by offering the opportunity for students, staff, faculty, and the community to improve Wikipedia entries for notable women in STEM fields and to increase coverage of underrepresented groups.
According to a , roughly 91 percent of Wikipedia鈥檚 editors are men. Kimberly Shotick, assistant dean for user services and outreach at Galvin Library, cites this statistic and remarks that women have been historically underrepresented in Wikipedia articles.
To address this disparity, Shotick says Illinois Tech鈥檚 Wikipedia edit-a-thon promotes a collaborative environment to improve entries and recognize outstanding women in the fields of STEM. 鈥淭his event is a great opportunity for people who want to increase the representation of women and support their continued growth in STEM,鈥 says Shotick.
During this event, Galvin librarians provide attendees curated resources that can be referenced to improve existing articles or create new content with accurate information and citations.
Shotick says this hands-on event is a chance for students to become more actively engaged in the process of recognizing women in STEM. She organized last year鈥檚 event and was surprised to learn how many individuals use Wikipedia on a regular basis but have never submitted edits or contributed to articles.
鈥淢y favorite part of last year鈥檚 event was seeing everyone make contributions to the pages and being excited about the process. It鈥檚 great knowing that they can now contribute to the information cycle,鈥 adds Shotick. She hopes that these structured events encourage others to take an active role in becoming Wikipedia editors and ensuring the accuracy of content.
Last year, 25 participants attended the event and edited several Wikipedia articles focused on 电车无码 women in STEM, which included notable Illinois Tech alumna . Librarians provided handouts and articles for participants to reference when reviewing and updating .
The Wikipedia edit-a-thon is open to the public and does not require previous experience. Shotick recommends creating a Wikipedia account prior to the event and bringing a laptop or similar device to participate in the editing session.
The second annual Women in STEM Wikipedia Edit-a-thon will take place on Tuesday, March 26 from 4鈥6 p.m. in the northeast upper level of Galvin Library.
This year the event is co-hosted by the , which was founded in 1950 to empower women to succeed and be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders.
