AFTER the celebration of its first anniversary last month, Monmouthpedia is set for another year of promotion and learning in Monmouth.

The project, launched in May 2012, was funded jointly by Monmouthshire County Council and Wikimedia UK. The aim is to cover important aspects in Monmouth, be it buildings, people, animals or artefacts, in as many languages as possible to promote tourism in the town.

The scheme aims to cover the town with free wifi access in order to allow people to access the Monmouthpedia website wherever they are in the town and read about the history of any particular building, site or person. The blue plaques, which enable this, are scattered around town and use a type of bar code which can be read through the camera of a smartphone. Your phone will then direct you to the correct page on the Monmouthpedia website in whatever language you choose.

Wifi access is throughout the town centre but slightly patchy on the outskirts due to problems with one of the transmitters on the Kymin. Mike Booth from Shire Hall, the very hub of Monmouthpedia, has promised the problem will be shortly resolved.

Roger Bamkin, who was instrumental in the implementation of Monmouthpedia was in town this week with two media students from Brazil who are researching and working on the project, which spans not just Monmouth but Prague (Czech Republic), Sayada (Tunisia), Fremantle (Australia), Gibraltar and Johannesburg (South Africa).

The blue ceramic plaques are being made by an artisan here in Monmouth, Cathy Yeates, who has a studio in the White Swan Courtyard. Pictured are the plaques ready to be shipped to South Africa for the launch of Johannesburg-pedia.

"Everything on the -pedia websites is non copyrighted so it is an extraordinary source of information about a town or country.

"We rely on written contributions from the public, students and local historians to bring the site to life. Particularly necessary are people who can translate articles into different languages."

Contributions are made through the Monmouthpedia website or, read the guidelines for articles online and send your translations or new articles to sarah

@tindlenews.co.uk for forwarding to the Monmouthpedia website.

The Beacon web poll found that 57.9 per cent of voters agreed that Monmouthpedia has benefitted Monmouth over its first years tenure, while 42.1 per cent disagreed.