Dec
27

Get involved in #EditingforEffie January 8

The Smithsonian Transcription Center joins colleagues across the Smithsonian, the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) community, and many of you, in mourning the loss of Senior Program Officer for Digital Strategy, Effie Kapsalis.

Effie Kapsalis stands in front of screen with projection explaining American Women's History Initiaitve

Effie, who passed away on December 11, 2022, was a tremendous advocate for open knowledge, digital accessibility, and gender equity and representation in collections systems. Among her many achievements, she led the launch of Smithsonian Open Access in 2020 and managed digital strategy for the American Women’s History Initiative and the new American Women’s History Museum.

Effie also championed crowdsourcing in the cultural heritage field, playing a significant role in the development and growth of the Transcription Center. She fiercely supported our volunpeers and the importance of digital public engagement. Her impact, and loss, are truly beyond measure.

Learn more about Effie’s incredible life and lasting contributions from the Smithsonian Institution Archives and in this Wikipedia talk page created by friends and colleagues. 

You too can honor Effie’s legacy by participating in #EditingForEffie Day on January 8, 2023. Organized by Siobhan Leachman, Transcription Center volunpeer, Wikimedian, and one of Effie’s friends and collaborators in the open data world, #EditingForEffie Day invites us all to help add content on women to Wikidata, Wikipedia, and WikiCommons. 

Learn how to get involved in #EditingforEffie .

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Posted: 27 December 2022
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.