Wikipedia Works! : Aligning Wikipedia Engagement with Library Initiatives

Wikipedia is an open access resource for community building and scholarly communication as well as an online encyclopedia. Librarians remain a minority within the Wikipedia community due to misunderstandings about the resource. In addition to creating and editing content, Wikipedia presents multiple opportunities where librarians can insert themselves in improving metadata, promoting library collections through WorldCat, including Wikipedia in open access initiatives, and teaching faculty how to integrate it into class curriculum, library instruction, and library programming. In this presentation, librarian and Wikipedian, Rachel Wexelbaum will provide a brief history of librarian engagement in Wikipedia, demonstrate how Wikipedia work aligns with core librarian values, tenure/promotion requirements, and traditional library duties. She will describe the WebJunction \u22Wikipedia + Libraries: Better Together\u22 course for librarians where she volunteered as a guide, and share her personal journey into global Wikipedia engagement. Recommendations on how to get started with Wikipedia, as well as where to connect with librarian communities engaged in Wikipedia efforts, will be included in this presentation