(4 Dec 2019) In 2020, the Wikimedia Foundation is launching the fifth edition of One Librarian One Reference (#1Lib1Ref) which will be held from 15th of January to the 5th of February 2020!
This event invites librarians from all over the world to add a reference to the article of their choice on the online encyclopedia. Indeed, the Wikimedia Foundation estimates that if each librarian spent 15 minutes to add a source to an article with a ” reference needed” banner, it would be possible to improve the reliability of 350,000 articles.
Why should Librarians get involved?
- Because you will improve the quality of articles and their reliability on Wikipedia, and so improve access to information for library users.
- Because you will contribute to the discovery of books, authors sometimes little known in specific fields.
- Because this is an occasion for your users to learn about references and sources and encourage them to get themselves involved in Wikipedia.
Other gaps to fill?
Libraries all around the world have already been involved in #1Lib1Ref, and many (D.B. Weldon Library, St.Cloud State University Library, Waterloo Library, Penn State University Libraries) have also become involved in other wiki projects, particularly to promote the diversity of content on Wikipedia.
This includes the Gender Gap project (to promote female contents on Wikipedia), the representation of LGBT+ communities but also the development of content related to non-Western communities.
To promote knowledge sharing and the representation of different cultures and opinions, we are encouraging you to contribute!
What are the first steps?
Step 1: Create a Wikipedia account in the language of your choice if you do not already have one.
Step 2: Select an article.
Step 3: Consult the footnotes with references and see if you can add a source that would cross-reference this or that information.
Step 4: Add your reference! (Here, some instructions to add a reference).
Source: IFLA news
