Wikidata:WikiProject Libraries

The aim of the WikiProject Libraries is to define a structure for libraries and to create and improve the items about library.

Libraries on Wikidata

There are currently 144,327 libraries with Wikidata items (April 2024). Quick query

Ontology

The aim of this subproject is to improve the level of precision with which we are classifying libraries on Wikidata.

As of 2019-2020, a majority of libraries are still classed simply as instance of (P31)library (Q7075). This was noted during a refinement for an import of metadata from the region Tuscany (See here), which lead to a dedicated discussion in here

In 2025 it was proposed on the Telegram chats of the WikiProject Ontology and of the Gruppo Wikidata per Musei, Archivi e Biblioteche (Q106447634) to start again a discussion on this topic to get a more robust results.

Analysis

This query shows most of the existing subclasses of library (Q7075) (the ones which are used at least one time as instance of (P31) or have instance of (P31)type of library (Q25397890)):

SELECT ?library ?libraryLabel
WHERE {
  ?singlelibrary wdt:P31 ?library .
  { ?library wdt:P279 wd:Q7075 . } UNION { ?library wdt:P31 wd:Q25397890 . }
    SERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "en,it,[AUTO_LANGUAGE]". }
}
GROUP BY ?library ?libraryLabel

Try it!

• Graphbilder

Classification

Below is a list of possible statements that could be used to improve the classification:

instance of (P31):

• public library (Q28564)
  • municipal library (Q2326815)
  • French Departmental Library (Q2901424)
  • district library (Q66444098)
  • primary unit library (Q66439321)
  • chitalishte (Q1638962) (not just library)
• academic library (Q856234)
• university library (Q1622062)
• research library (Q1438040)
• national library (Q22806)
• medical library (Q6150991)
• scientific library (Q2586205)
• special library (Q385994)
  • museum library (Q13866185)
• library network (Q28324850)
• private library (Q380829)
• digital library (Q212805)

Please feel free to add to the list.

External IDs

• We have established a contact with Nuovo soggettario (Q16583225)
• Double check Finto (Q61677804) [1]

Useful links

• WikiProject Museums
• Blog - Creating and editing libraries in Wikidata by Dan Scott. 19 Feb 2018

Queries

SELECT DISTINCT ?item ?itemLabel ?itemDescription WHERE {
  ?item wdt:P31/wdt:P279* wd:Q7075 .
  SERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "[AUTO_LANGUAGE],en". }
}

Try it!

#most used properties on library
SELECT ?property ?propertyLabel ?propertyDescription ?count WHERE { 
	{
		select ?propertyclaim (COUNT(*) AS ?count) where {
			?item wdt:P31/wdt:P279* wd:Q7075 .
			?item ?propertyclaim [] .
		} group by ?propertyclaim 
	}
	?property wikibase:claim ?propertyclaim .
	SERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "[AUTO_LANGUAGE],en" . }
} ORDER BY DESC (?count)

Try it!

Participants

[+] Add yourself to the list

The participants listed below can be notified using the following template in discussions:
{{Ping project|Libraries}}

• Jason.nlw
• VIGNERON
• Delphine Dallison
• Alicia Fagerving (WMSE)
• Louize5
• Ijon
• Susanna Giaccai
• BeatrixBelibaste
• Simon Cobb
• LadyofShalott
• Epìdosis
• Alexmar983
• Mlemusrojas
• HelsKRW (talk) 09:55, 8 June 2020 (UTC)
• Blrtg1 (talk) 11:01, 21 July 2020 (UTC)
• Pvperez1 (talk) 17:19, 20 April 2021 (UTC)
• Zblace (talk) 06:21, 11 November 2021 (UTC)
• Skim
• Tris T7 ^{TT me}
  
• Madamebiblio
• Olugold
• Rhagfyr
• Maxime
• Mfchris84
• Pierre Tribhou
• SEgt-WMF
• Akbarali
• Awinkler3 (talk) 08:08, 25 November 2025 (UTC)