Latvian Wikipedia Marathon

Latvian Wikipedia Marathon (Latvian: Latvijas Vikipēdijas maratons) was a project that brought together the Latvian Wikipedia community with several private partners in joint effort with the aim of expanding the Latvian Wikipedia to activate the usability of the Latvian language in the learning process, cognition and research work. The marathon opened on 11 March 2015. The project aimed to expand the Latvian Wikipedia to 100 thousand articles by 100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic (18 November 2018).

Wikipedia Marathon poster in Riga

The marathon was an initiative of Norvik Banka, and partners - the University of Latvia, the State Language Centre, Latvian Wikipedia editors, Radio 5, the digital language services company Tilde, information campaign supported by Delfi.lv, the best prize for writers provided by Samsung. In March 2015 Latvian Wikipedia contained around 59 thousand articles. For comparison, the Lithuanian Wikipedia has about 170 thousand and the Estonian Wikipedia 131 thousand.

Campaign

Within the period from March to August 2015 an organized campaign took place calling on broader Latvian society to engage in the expansion of Wikipedia. The campaign explained the importance of Wikipedia, as well as providing information on Wikipedia article creation. The Marathon campaign was promoted on social networks, as well as through physical advertising. A series of YouTube videos were distributed which featured the following people: biathlete Andrejs Rastorgujevs; University of Latvia Rector Mārcis Auziņš; writer Inga Žolude; draugiem.lv spokesman Jānis Palkavnieks; musician Jānis Stībelis; Wikipedia activist Edgars Lecis.[1]

Awards

A jury jointly formed by the marathon partners will evaluate the articles according to several criteria, and the end of the campaign, four authors will receive prizes. Articles are judged in the following categories:

  • Best Quality article with the greatest intellectual contribution (one or a few especially designed articles)
  • Most valuable contribution (a combination of quantity and quality)
  • Most-Read article (author, whose articles or one article is particularly read)
  • Internet sympathies prize

Thematic partner weeks

The campaign also had thematic partner weeks, within which the best article on each topic would receive a prize from the partner.

Period Partner Theme
13.04 — 26.04 University of Latvia Latvian Science
27.04 — 10.05 Latvijas Radio 5 Latvian new music
11.05 — 24.05 Delfi.lv Latvian media
25.05 — 31.05 Latvian State Language Center Latvian book creators: authors, translators, artists, publishers
01.06 — 07.06 Draugiem.lv My region
08.06 — 14.06 Wikipedia editors Latvian specially protected natural areas

References
  1. Norvik Banka. "Piedalies Latvijas Vikipēdijas maratonā 2015!". YouTube.
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