The approach of getting university resources for Wikipedians is a
necessary one. I've asked the foundation to make JSTOR a priority for
5 years now. This year they responded: they explicitly dropped it
from the strategic plan as too low a priority. And to get active
Wikipedians to use existing library collections on their own account
is probably even more difficult. But it is possible: the NYC chapter
has had two good workshops with the NYPL, and two with the Princeton
archives.
On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 12:30 AM, Richard Jensen <rjensen(a)uic.edu> wrote:
Sadly I think this discussion demonstrates some
hostility toward academe.
(here's a quote from yesterday addressed to me on this list: "...knowledge
robberbarons standing athwart history imagining they and their institutions
alone, had the requisite skills and expertise to engage in knowledge
production. Until they didn't. Enjoy your new neighbors in trash heap of
history." I would code his emotional tone as "hostile")
Well it's always nice to see people citing the lessons of history,
especially since I'm a specialist in that sort of OR. But the underlying
hostility is a problem that bothers me a lot and I have been trying to think
of ways to bridge the gap. There is in operation a Wikimedia Foundation
Education program that is small and will not, in my opinion, scale up
easily to the size needed. In any case the Foundation plans to cut the
US-Canada program loose in 12 months to go its own way. see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Education_Working_Group/Wikimedia_Fo…
My own thinking is currently along two lines:
a) set up a highly visible Wiki prsence at scholarly conventions (in
multiple disciplines) with 1) Wiki people at booths to explain the secrets
of Wikipedia to interested academics and 2) hands-on workshops to show
professors how to integrate student projects into their classes. (and yes,
professors given paid time off to attend these conventions, often plus
travel money.)
b) run a training program for experienced Wiki editors at a major research
library. (I'm thinking just of Wiki history editors here.) For those who
want it provide access to sources like JSTOR. Bring in historians covering
main historiographical themes. I think this could help hundreds of editors
find new topics, methods and sources that would lead to hundreds of
thousands of better edits.
Richard Jensen
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