Opportunities for Public, Academic and Research Libraries and Wikipedia. Part 1

Abstract

Several libraries and Wikipedia agreed on developing cooperation. This initiative has been translated into two Public Projects presented at Session 112. Library engagement and Wikipedia during IFLA General Conference (August 13-19, Columbus, USA). Wikipedia supplements library resources with timely, useful information; acts as a tool for librarians answering reference questions; provides a pathway to primary and secondary sources and citations. Wikipedia helps library clients perform research; and provides a vital platform for recording local knowledge. Public libraries can expose both their staff and patrons to more complex and sophisticated strategies for dealing with the changing digital landscape. Wikipedia has the potential to point clients to libraries, where resources in their areas of interest can be found. Wikipedia-library engagement connects Wikipedia with the important role libraries play in bridging inequalities in access to information. Active collaborations between Wikipedia editors and academic and research libraries to advance the free flow of information which supporting sustainable development around the world. These collaborative opportunities offer a range of outcomes that could benefit academic and research libraries including crowdsourcing, community engagement, rapid models for online publishing, student writing assignments, etc. For the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology both projects are equally of interest.