1Lib1Ref

Editing Wikipedia has taught me a great deal of what I know about appropriate sources, open culutre, and the scholarly conversation. Last term, I had the joy of introducing students in a class to editing Wikipedia, and look forward to introducing a new group of students to it this Winter. However, while Wikipedia editing nurtures my librarianship and opens my students’ eyes, I have been unsure of how to introduce more of my librarian colleagues to the process.

Imagine my excitement, then, to hear of the #1Lib1Ref project! It offers an invitation to every librarian to identify one poorly-sourced claim on Wikipedia, and back it up with a reputable, appropriate source. The editing process has grown much easier over the past few years, with a nifty Visual Editor and many useful tutorials. The #1Lib1Ref push will take place January 15–23, and will undoubtedly be a presence in social media groups.

So, my fellow librarians, the time is now! I hope you’ll join me later this month to improve a widely used knowledge base and enjoy the process of editing Wikipedia.