Why Librarians Should Edit Wikipedia

In May, I attended WikiConference USA. Billed as "the first national Wikimedia conference of its kind in the United States," it took place over a weekend at New York Law School, located in the downtown Manhattan neighborhood of TriBeCa. WikiConference, or "WikiCon," was free to attend, and its packed schedule included panels that specifically addressed Wikipedia's connection to librarians.
 

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One topic that arose over and over again during post-panel discussions was librarians taking an active role in editing Wikipedia entries. Among the many great comments that arose during these discussions were Leah Castaldi's "As librarians, our job is not just to promote access to information but to ensure our communities' ability to use it" and Rachel Wexelbaum's "What if every library had one Wikipedian on staff to access the collections and build the encyclopedia?"

Indeed, a librarian who helps build or edit Wikipedia entries - or a "Wikibrarian - is precisely what Michael Rodriguez is advocating for in his article for Hack Library School. Titled "Editing Wikipedia While in Library School," the article explains why librarians (and library school students) should edit the popular online encyclopedia. "Wikipedia is the sixth most frequently visited website globally and is among the first information stops for millions of people," Rodriguez says in the article. "Wikipedia has 500 million unique visitors in more than 250 languages annually!" The popularity of Wikipedia is, in fact, why librarians should become actively involved in editing its content, according to Rodriguez. He says, "Adding, expanding, or correcting Wikipedia content is therefore a public service — one intimately linked to librarians' mission to connect people to information."

Other reasons that Rodriguez gives for librarians to become Wikibrarians include:

Wikipedia builds community: "To become a Wikibrarian is to join an amazing community of editors with diverse interests and knowledge, all dedicated to disseminating and democratizing information."

Wikipedia teaches skills: "Even if you just add citations or links, you pick up some Wikicode. This provides a simple, intuitive introduction to coding and a helpful segue in HTML. If you contribute substantive content, then you develop experience with what amounts to technical writing."

Wikipedia demonstrates ability: "Building quality Wikipedia pages demonstrates that you have both technical skills and initiative. You're coding text and writing copyright licenses. You can upload or link your pages to your e-portfolio for future employers to admire."

Most of all, he says, "Wikipedia is fun to edit." He concludes his article for Hack Library School by telling how to get started as a Wikibrarian, including helpful links (some leading to tutorials) under "Resources." Rodriguez is a Wikipedian and has "found the experience rewarding in the extreme." For more on "Editing Wikipedia While in Library School," see Michael Rodriguez's article at THIS LINK.

Things to Do Before Graduating from Library School

Last night, as I was lying in bed, I had a minor freakout thinking about my life post-graduate school. One month from now, I will have my master's degree in library science. On one hand, I'm both excited and relieved that a three-year-long journey is coming to an end. But on the other hand, I'm thinking: What now?

There's a short list of things you should do 
before graduating from library school.
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Library school offered me so much more than enrichment gained from in-class learning. It also led to many new friendships, and it opened up opportunities, both social and professional, that would not have been available to me (and that I never would have known about) otherwise. Library school has been a big part of my life for a nice slice of my life that once it's over... But I suppose I'm thinking about it all wrong. In fact, in having my little freakout, I totally disregarded the 6th item on Briana Marshall's list of six "Things to Do Before You Graduate from Library School."

In a post for the website Hack Library School, Marshall said:

Try not to freak out too much about the future. Graduation brings with it lots of uncertainty, whether you have a job yet or not. There are so many variables; there is always a tradeoff. In my case, my partner of seven years and I will be living in separate cities for the first time ever. Even though I am confident it's the right choice for us and we are both excited for each other, it will be a hard transition. There aren't easy answers. It would be so easy to move from a state of panic over what job I will get into a state of panic about how (if!) we will end up together eventually, but instead I am just going with the flow. I'm choosing happiness.

In other good advice, Marshall recommends that you renew your memberships to professional organizations while you can still use your student discount:

Renew/begin professional memberships. You'll be oh so happy later on that you did this at the student rate, which is fractions cheaper than the institutional rate. This is the last time you'll be able to take advantage of your student status - go for it! I had diverse interests as a student because I didn't know where I would end up in library technology. Now that I know the specific areas I will be working in, it's easier for me to decide what organizations are most relevant to me.

I'm currently a member of more than a few professional organizations, and I will say that as a student member, I enjoy a significantly lower cost of renewing my membership to these organizations. In one case, I was able to join two organizations for the price of one, and I was able to join at least one organization for free - all because I'm enrolled in library school. There are a couple more professional organizations that I'm looking into, both focusing on audio archiving, and at least one international organization. All offer discounts to students (with proof of enrollment/matriculation, of course). Marshall's suggestion reminds me that I should sign up for these organizations while I can still save.

Another bit of wisdom that Marshall offers, and that I will take to heart, is:

See the sights. I'm taking a southern road trip to celebrate graduation and have some fun before my impending move back to the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin. I am also planning lots of day trips and weekend trips to see nearby cities that I just didn't get to over the past few years.

I'm intending to do just that, almost immediately after my graduation from library school. I'm looking at a weekend getaway to a bucolic town just north of the city, and throughout the summer I'm planning to take day trips to cities that I've long wanted to explore and are quick to get to by train. Now that I will have more time on my hands, I want to see more of the country while I can and make the most of this "in-between period" in my professional life.

For more good suggestions on "Things to Do Before You Graduate from Library School," see Briana Marshall's post for Hack Library School at THIS LINK.