New research: linking library collections to Wikipedia and Wikidata
Melbourne Wikimedian Kerrie Burn (Kerrieburn) has published a peer-reviewed article about the Australian Women in Religion WikiProject in the journal Theological Librarianship.
The article, "Enhancing Discoverability of Digital Library Collections through Targeted Wikimedia Projects: The Australian Women in Religion WikiProject and the University of Divinity Library Experience", was published on 29 October 2026.
It looks at a 2023 project at the University of Divinity, funded through Wikimedia Australia's Partner Projects. Over four months, Kerrie and Wikipedian in Residence Linda Pascal used Wikipedia and Wikidata to connect articles about Australian women in religion with the University's digitised library collections. These included material on the Movement for the Ordination of Women and early Christian feminist groups. The article sets out how they did it, and offers the project as a model for other libraries, archives and museums working with Wikimedia.
In her editorial for the issue, the journal's editor said she expects the article "might inspire and encourage others to undertake similar projects."
The article also counts towards a goal in Wikimedia Australia's 10-year Strategic Plan: to support at least five research outputs that contribute to the Wikimedia movement by 2035.
Kerrie's work with Wikimedia Australia
Kerrie has been part of the Wikimedia Australia community for several years.
- Australian Women in Religion WikiProject – Kerrie started the Australian Women in Religion WikiProject in late 2019, while she was Library Manager at Mannix Library. It is Australia's contribution to the international 1000 Women in Religion Project. The project reached its first target of 100 new Wikipedia articles in 2021.
- Wikidata Fellow – In 2022 Kerrie was one of the inaugural Wikidata Fellows. With mentors Alex Lum and Sam Wilson, she expanded and visualised women in religion on Wikidata.
- University of Divinity Partner Project – In 2023 a Partner Projects grant let the University of Divinity host Linda Pascal as Wikipedian in Residence. This is the project described in the new article.
- Radical Acts – From February to June 2025, Kerrie and Ellie Watts (AdaWoolf) were Wikimedians in Residence at State Library Victoria for Radical Acts, another Partner Project. They created and improved articles on Australian feminist activists and organisations. By the end of the project, the Wikipedia articles of 26 women and seven organisations linked back to State Library Victoria's collections.
- Partner Projects subcommittee – In 2026 Kerrie joined the Partner Projects subcommittee as the community representative, helping assess this year's applications.
Kerrie is now a University Scholar at the University of Divinity, where she was the inaugural University Librarian. In March 2026 the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board made her a Fellow of ALIA, and she was presented with the Fellowship at the National Library of Australia during WikiCon 2026.
Kerrie's research and writing on Wikimedia
- Burn, Kerrie (2026). "Enhancing Discoverability of Digital Library Collections through Targeted Wikimedia Projects: The Australian Women in Religion WikiProject and the University of Divinity Library Experience". Theological Librarianship 19 (2): 13–30.
- Burn, Kerrie (2021). "How Theological Librarians Can Help Change the World: Addressing Knowledge and Gender Gaps in the World's Largest Encyclopedia". Atla Annual Conference.
- Burn, Kerrie (2021). "Australian Women in Religion Wikipedia Project". Footprints 36 (2): 28–34.
- Anderson, Clifford B.; Burn, Kerrie; Hartung, Colleen; Hamlen, Polly; Meyer, Christine (2021). "Documenting for Diversity: The Case of 1000 Women in Religion". Panel, Wikimania 2021.
Congratulations, Kerrie!