WikiSami University Workshops in Bali – Diff

WikiSami (Sum of All Manuscripts Bali) is a Wikimedia-supported initiative that aims to identify and reconnect Balinese palm-leaf manuscripts (lontar) preserved across international collections. Beyond documentation, WikiSami seeks to bring these manuscripts back into conversation with Balinese communities, especially younger generations, by creating spaces where manuscript heritage can be engaged with, discussed, and reinterpreted in locally meaningful ways.

This series of university workshops grew out of an earlier journey at Leiden University Library. While working with the Balinese manuscript collection there, the WikiSami team spent time identifying and mapping hundreds of lontar manuscripts belonging to the geguritan genre. When returning to Bali, it became clear that this work should not remain confined to archival lists or research notes. The workshops were conceived as a way to carry these encounters with manuscripts back home, inviting students to engage with texts that continue to live through recitation, study, and everyday cultural practice in Bali.

University Workshops in Bali

The workshops were held at two universities in Bali: Udayana University and Universitas Hindu Indonesia (UNHI). At Udayana University, the participants were students of Old Javanese studies, while at UNHI the workshops involved students with strong backgrounds in the Balinese language and literature. In total, around fifteen students took part. Although many of them were already familiar with lontar manuscripts from their academic training, most had never contributed to public knowledge platforms before.

Rather than approaching the workshops as formal lectures, the sessions were designed as collaborative spaces for discussion and practice. Students were encouraged to ask questions, share their experiences with Balinese literary traditions, and work together throughout the activities.

“It was really exciting to gain new knowledge and insights. I hope there will be another WikiSami workshop this year.” Username: seraphine

“It was enjoyable and gave me a new experience, as I had never tried creating a Wikipedia article before. I hope this activity can continue in the future.” Username: Kirana Nayaka

Writing About Geguritan from the Leiden Collection

The central activity of the workshops was the creation of Balinese Wikipedia articles about lontar manuscripts from the Leiden University Library collection, with a particular focus on the geguritan genre. Geguritan is a traditional Balinese poetic form that continues to be sung, recited, and taught in Bali today, making it a genre that bridges manuscript heritage and living cultural practice.

Working with information metadata, participants explored the content, context, and significance of selected geguritan texts. They then collaborated to write Wikipedia articles in Balinese, aiming to make the information accessible to a broader audience. Through this process, students reflected on how manuscripts preserved outside Indonesia can still speak to local readers when presented in a familiar language and cultural framework.

Why Balinese Wikipedia Matters

Writing in Balinese Wikipedia played a crucial role in the workshops. For many participants, this was their first experience using Balinese as a language of public knowledge production. The act of writing in Balinese allowed students to address local readers directly and to frame manuscript collections in ways that resonate with community knowledge and cultural values.

At the same time, working with manuscripts held abroad prompted discussions about the global journeys of Balinese heritage. Students became more aware of how lontar manuscripts have travelled across borders and how digital platforms can help reconnect these dispersed collections with the communities they originate from.

Learning Through Participation

The workshops emphasized learning through participation. Students learned by editing, discussing sources, revising texts, and supporting one another throughout the writing process. This hands-on approach helped lower barriers to participation and demonstrated that contributing to shared knowledge does not require advanced technical skills but curiosity, collaboration, and care for the subject matter.

For several participants, the workshops marked their first step into contributing to open knowledge. Many expressed interest in continuing to write and explore other ways of engaging with Balinese manuscripts beyond the classroom.

Looking Ahead

These university workshops represent an important step in WikiSami’s broader effort to reconnect international manuscript collections with local communities in Bali. Before these activities, the project focused on curating and inputting metadata of Balinese manuscripts from the British Library into Wikidata. So far, a total of 154 manuscript records have been contributed, forming a structured foundation for further work. 

The workshops build on this foundation by bringing the data back into local contexts. This lets students interact directly with manuscript collections that were mostly only available through archival research before. Future activities will extend outreach beyond universities to schools and other educational settings, creating opportunities for younger audiences to engage with manuscript heritage in creative and participatory ways.

By transforming archival encounters into shared learning experiences, WikiSami hopes to ensure that Balinese manuscripts are not only preserved digitally but also actively read, discussed, and reimagined by the communities to which they belong.

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