2025-08-08 –, NAKURU
Language: English
🎥 Session recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paulina%2C_a_Wikidata-based_web_tool_for_cultural_heritage.webm 🎥
The session presents Paulina, a Wikidata-based web tool that provides a user-friendly search interface to discover authors, identify the copyright status of their works in different jurisdictions, and access public domain works from Wikisource, Wikimedia Commons and other sites.
A beta version of the tool is available at: https://paulina.toolforge.org/
The tool is part of a larger project to improve the reliability of public domain information in Wikidata, increase the representation of data about authors and works from the Global South, and help shape best practices for modeling public domain-related data in Wikidata.
The aim of this session is to show how the tool works, discuss its possible uses for Wikimedians and cultural heritage professionals and institutions, and obtain feedback about possible new features.
This session presents Paulina, a Wikidata-based web tool focused on cultural heritage. The tool is available at https://paulina.toolforge.org/
Paulina provides a user-friendly search interface to discover authors, identify the copyright status of their works in different jurisdictions, and access public domain works from Wikisource, Wikimedia Commons, and other sites. It also invites users to improve information about the public domain on Wikidata.
Paulina addresses different user profiles. First, it can help professionals from cultural heritage institutions and publishers quickly find works and identify their copyright status. Second, it streamlines the work of Wikimedians by providing a user-friendly interface for common Wikidata queries about works and authors, helping to identify data gaps, and developing best practices for modeling data related to the public domain on Wikidata. Finally, it can help students, educators, and curious people discover works and authors.
This tool can also be used by Wikimedians to facilitate collaborations with cultural heritage institutions with limited resources, as it helps visualize the data contributions made by institutions and can assist with some workflows within them. It can also contribute to the necessary research on the copyright status of works in digitization projects.
The session will begin with a conceptual presentation of the tool. A demonstration based on the most common use cases will then be presented, showcasing the main features and providing some navigation examples. Those with more experience with Wikidata will be able to address questions about how Paulina works at a technical level, while those with more experience in GLAM will be able to comment on use cases and needs not yet met.
In addition to the main tool, which is open to improvements based on the needs of the GLAM-Wiki community, it will be demonstrated that it is possible to create national, regional, or thematic implementations, according to the needs of each community. A first local version, focused on Uruguay’s public domain, is hosted at: https://dominiopublico.uy/
Paulina was recently presented at Wikimedia+Libraries Mexico 2025 and new features will be developed during the Wikimedia Hackathon Istanbul 2025.
The code repository is available with a free software license at: https://gitlab.wikimedia.org/toolforge-repos/paulina
- How does your session relate to the event theme: Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
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This session presents a software tool developed from the Global South with a focus on specifically addressing the needs of GLAM communities in these countries. It seeks to expand the use and impact of Wikidata by making it more user-friendly and easy to use for the GLAM community, students, and educators. Finally, it contributes to Wikimedia sustainability by strengthening the ecosystem of free software tools related to Wikimedia projects and supporting the collaboration with the GLAM community.
- How do you plan to deliver this session? You will be asked to confirm this closer to the date in case of changes to the format.
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Onsite in Nairobi
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
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Average knowledge about Wikimedia projects or activities
- Should your session be selected for the program, do you agree to release your session and supporting materials on-wiki and on the eventyay platform under CC BY-SA 4.0?
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I agree
- What other themes or topics does your session fit into? Please choose from the list of tags below.
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Collaboration
Jorge Gemetto is a member of Wikimedistas de Uruguay. He has been working for over 15 years promoting access to knowledge and the public domain. He is part of the Latin American technical community and currently leads the Paulina project, where he develops data tools based on Wikidata for cultural heritage. He is also co-coordinator of the Ártica Cultural Center and a member of Creative Commons Uruguay.