Page:The Wikipedia Library-The largest encyclopedia needs a digital library and we are building it By Jake Orlowitz.pdf/10

10 :"Producing​ ​information​ ​for​ ​others​ ​in​ ​online​ ​environments​ ​can​ ​give​ ​young​ ​people​ ​a starting​ ​point​ ​for​ ​reflecting​ ​on​ ​where​ ​information​ ​comes​ ​from;​ ​such​ ​experiences​ ​support second-order​ ​information​ ​literacy​ ​skills,​ ​which​ ​require​ ​students​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​on​ ​the​ ​nature​ ​of information​ ​production…If​ ​we​ ​want​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​a​ ​more​ ​local,​ ​shared​ ​sense​ ​of responsibility,​ ​continuing​ ​efforts​ ​to​ ​incorporate​ ​public​ ​information​ ​production​ ​in classrooms​ ​should​ ​include​ ​opportunities​ ​for​ ​students​ ​to​ ​support​ ​and​ ​challenge​ ​one another​ ​in​ ​justifying​ ​and​ ​critiquing​ ​claims,​ ​as​ ​is​ ​done​ ​by​ ​co-authors​ ​on​ ​Wikipedia."​8

The​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Library​ ​did​ ​not​ ​create​ ​this​ ​trend,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​has​ ​helped​ ​accelerate​ ​it​ ​through​ ​efforts​ ​to improve​ ​the​ ​work​ ​and​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​Wikipedia's​ ​editors,​ ​readers,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​network​ ​of​ ​librarians​ ​that support​ ​them.​ ​TWL's​ ​annual​ ​#1lib1ref​ ​campaign​ ​built​ ​on​ ​that​ ​momentum​ ​with​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​social media-friendly​ ​call​ ​to​ ​action:​ ​ ​imagine​ ​a​ ​world​ ​in​ ​which​ ​every​ ​librarian​ ​added​ ​one​ ​more reference​ ​to​ ​Wikipedia.​ ​Imagine​ ​a​ ​world​ ​in​ ​which​ ​librarians​ ​were​ ​as​ ​much​ ​contributors​ ​to Wikipedia​ ​as​ ​they​ ​are​ ​critical​ ​consumers​ ​of​ ​its​ ​content.

For​ ​Editors:​ ​ ​A​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Library​ ​Card

The​ ​founding​ ​mission​ ​of​ ​The​ ​Wikipedia​ ​Library​ ​is​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​content​ ​editors​ ​on​ ​Wikimedia projects​ ​with​ ​the​ ​reliable​ ​sources​ ​they​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​articles​—​to​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​the​ ​content​ ​is supported​ ​by​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​quality​ ​sources,​ ​and​ ​to​ ​open​ ​up​ ​topics​ ​not​ ​covered​ ​by​ ​locally​ ​available or​ ​free​ ​online​ ​references.

One​ ​Iranian​ ​recipient​ ​of​ ​TWL​ ​access​ ​from​ ​JSTOR​ ​described:


 * "Things​ ​changed​ ​when​ ​the​ ​international​ ​sanctions​ ​against​ ​Iran​ ​expanded​ ​and​ ​included banking​ ​transactions.​ ​Subscription​ ​fees​ ​could​ ​not​ ​be​ ​paid​ ​and​ ​the​ ​growing​ ​difficulties reduced​ ​my​ ​motivation​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​Wikipedia​ ​for​ ​free.​ ​However,​ ​thanks​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Wikipedia Library,​ ​I​ ​received​ ​JSTOR​ ​access,​ ​which​ ​incorporates​ ​Iranian​ ​Studies;​ ​this​ ​new​ ​access allowed​ ​me​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​my​ ​work​ ​on​ ​articles​ ​like​ ​Kelidar​,​ ​the​ ​longest​ ​Persian​ ​novel.