15 december 2023
Where history meets modern
At Maastricht University Library, the use of literary sources from its Special Collections by students is promoted and facilitated through the development and organization of specialized research-based learning programs as part of the Wikipedia Education Program. The central aim of these learning programs is to educate students on the social relevance of the Special Collections, such as the Jesuit library, which contains books (on philosophy, history, anatomy, literature, theology, law, and various social sciences) dating back to the beginning of the sixteenth century. In addition, by participating in these programs, undergraduate students from various colleges are given the opportunity to develop their information literacy skills by gaining experience in conducting empirical literature research on primary historical sources and its publication through a popular open-access platform. Evaluations from students indicate that the unique combination of analyzing historical literature and the publication of their review on a modern open-access platform led to increased motivation, readership, sense of responsibility, and understanding about the importance of open-access knowledge transfer and valorization of information. In addition to the Wikipedia Education Program, Maastricht University has also been involved in a noneducational Wikimedia project: Wiki-Wetenschappers. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the activities, approaches, and evaluation of the Wikipedia Education Program and the Wiki-Scientists project at Maastricht University. This chapter is part of the book Wikipedia and Academic Libraries: A Global Project. The book contains 19 chapters by 52 authors from Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Scotland, Spain, and the United States. The chapters in this book are authored by both new and longtime members of the Wikimedia community, representing a range of experiences.