Comments on: Blame the Philistines, not the Librarians

By: TheIlliterateLibrarian

TheIlliterateLibrarian — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:37:27 +0000

My students are told explicitly that Wikipedia and user-generated content sites (eHow, Associated Content, etc) will not be accepted as sources. I also explain in great detail why they need sources that have an editorial process and fact-checking involved at every level. Inevitably one or two use Wikipedia as a source every term, but that’s usually laziness, especially since I tell them when I see their rough draft what’s wrong with their sources and they don’t bother to correct the problem (even though they have two weeks to find new sources). I use Wikipedia all the time. Heck, I use it at conferences if a presenter mentions something that I don’t know about just to get some very quick background and context. Heck, I use it to read synopses of book series just to see if they’re worth reading/buying, or to make sure I have pety and pathetic details right before engaging in diatribes about 20 year old episodes of Doctor Who on the internet. however, the cost of being wrong in a flame war is MUCH lower than being wrong say… on an operating table because you used Wikipedia as your source.

By: bookgirl

bookgirl — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:40:54 +0000

let me guess, chickenlittle uses Wikipedia as the peniultimate source for anything.
I have professors at work who will FAIL someone who uses wikipedia or google or bing in a paper.
Just because the internet has information doesn’t mean it’s right. Can you evaluate a webpage for accuracy or currentcy? Can you use a database like Wilson Web or ProQuest Theses or Dissertations? Do you know how to find medical terms for a layman? How about encoding a finding aid for archival collections?
Can you fix a copier that someone jammed an ID card in? Or explain MLA citations to someone?
That’s what academic librarians do. And more.

By: Post postmodern Librarian

Post postmodern Librarian — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:55:47 +0000

Define developing information? Can you cite me some open Facebook sites that have the level of journal information in them? I am all for web journals so I would be truly interested if not skeptical about Facebook. I dont want to bother with Twitter 140 characters isnt enough to equal that level. I ll give Facebook a shot

By: Spartacus

Spartacus — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:00:17 +0000

I find it hard to believe that scholars, even in the humanities, are non-hierarchical.

By: Fancy Nancy

Fancy Nancy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:19:49 +0000

“A few years ago a lot of librarians wanted to turn libraries into Barnes and Noble”.

If only that had been a passing whim.
My public library is in the process of being transformed into a pseudo-B&N. Our transformation from Dewey to “neighborhoods” is almost complete, and coffee will be available shortly. On some levels I don’t feel I work in a library anymore.

By: ro

ro — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:40:45 +0000

Yeps, because my history professor in college would have let me cite Twitter or Facebook in a scholarly paper. Augh no!

By: ChickenLittle

ChickenLittle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:01:21 +0000

“Special collections”….of course they are needed for primary research, but do we really need the onslaught of published materials for professors to accomplish this research? Especially when someone here has already identified, the vast majority of new and developing information comes via conferences and informal channels (i.e. twitter, facebook). It makes me wonder the value of journal publications in the methodology or research other than for University tenure.

By: Can Read

Can Read — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:48:52 +0000

And clearly I am so outraged that I have forgotten how to spell. Yes, I note my errors. Please note yours.

By: Can Read

Can Read — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:47:18 +0000

Hey, Chicken Little. Do you know what original documents and primary sources are? For literary scholars, they’re the fresking books in the library. For history of science and history of medicien scholars, they’re the outdated books in the library. And for historians, they’re chiefly the holdings in special collections departments in–guess what–libraries. So I would argue that you are talking through your hat.

By: Post postmodern Librarian

Post postmodern Librarian — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:50:19 +0000

Chickenlittle libraries exist to store the research done by those before us. Without out that we can not stand on the shoulders. They also with special collection contain primary data. We are a public library but carry most of the city budgets for public viewing. Another type of information stored is methodology related, definitions, etc. Things that explain and inform your research. You may need to know the difference between Positivism and Marxism or how to use an electron microscope. Yes you must do original research but the library informs you every step of the way.