The following article originally appeared on Finding Dulcinea, Librarian of the Internet, by Mark E. Moran:

10. You must never fully rely on any one source for important information.
Everyone makes mistakes. All scholarly journals and newspapers contain “corrections” sections in which they acknowledge errors in their prior work. And even the most neutral writer is sometimes guilty of not being fully objective. Thus, you must take a skeptical approach to everything you read.The focus of your search should be on finding accurate information and forming a full picture of an issue, rather than believing the first thing you read. This is particularly true on the Internet, where anyone can publish, cheaply and quickly. Always verify important information by confirming it with multiple sources.9. You especially can’t rely on something when you don’t even know who wrote it.
Very few Wikipedia editors and contributors use their real name or provide any information about who they are. In order to properly evaluate information on the Internet, there are three questions you must always ask; the first two are “Who wrote this?” and “Why did they write it?” On sites with anonymous authors like Wikipedia, you can’t find this information.8.  The contributor with an agenda often prevails.
In theory, the intellectual sparring at the heart of Wikipedia’s group editing process results in a consensus that removes unreliable contributions and edits. But often the contributor who “wins” is not the one with the soundest information, but rather the one with the strongest agenda.

In March 2009, Irish student Shane Fitzgerald, who was conducting research on the Internet and globalization of information, posted a fake quotation on the Wikipedia article about recently deceased French composer Maurice Jarre. Due to the fact that the quote was not attributed to a reliable source, it was removed several times by editors, but Fitzgerald continued re-posting it until it was allowed to remain.

Fitzgerald was startled to learn that several major newspapers picked up the quote and published it in obituaries, confirming his suspicions of the questionable ways in which journalists use Web sites, and Wikipedia, as a reliable source. Fitzgerald e-mailed the newspapers letting them know that the quote was fabricated; he believes that otherwise, they might never have found out.

7. Individuals with agendas sometimes have significant editing authority.
Administrators on Wikipedia have the power to delete or disallow comments or articles they disagree with and support the viewpoints they approve. For example, beginning in 2003, U.K. scientist William Connolley became a Web site administrator and subsequently wrote or rewrote more than 5,000 Wikipedia articles supporting the concept of climate change and global warming. More importantly, he used his authority to ban more than 2,000 contributors with opposing viewpoints from making further contributions.

According to The Financial Post, when Connolley was through editing, “The Medieval Warm Period disappeared, as did criticism of the global warming orthodoxy.” Connolley has since been stripped of authority at Wikipedia, but one blogger believes he continues to post.

Furthermore, in 2007, a new program called WikiScanner uncovered individuals with a clear conflict of interest that had written or edited some Wikipedia entries. Employees from organizations such as the CIA, the Democratic National Party and Diebold were editing Wikipedia entries in their employers’ favor.

6. Sometimes “vandals” create malicious entries that go uncorrected for months.
Due to the fact that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone with an Internet connection, users can falsify entries. Though in many instances reviewers quickly delete this “vandalism,” occasionally false information can remain on Wikipedia for extended periods of time.

For example, John Seigenthaler, a former assistant to Robert Kennedy, was falsely implicated in the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers on his Wikipedia biography for a period of more than 100 days without his knowledge.

5. There is little diversity among editors.
According to a 2009 survey by the Wikimedia Foundation, 87 percent of Wikipedia editors are male, with an average age of 26.8 years. According to executive director Sue Gardner, they hail mostly from Europe and North America, and many of them are in graduate school.

Although most of these editors are undoubtedly intelligent and passionate about enhancing the accuracy of Wikipedia, the site falls far short of its ideals of providing “the sum of all human knowledge” without the broad perspectives that a more diversified pool of editors would bring.

4. The number of active Wikipedia editors has flatlined.
The number of active Wikipedia editors (those who make at least five edits a month) has stopped growing. It remains to be seen whether the current number of active editors can maintain and continue updating Wikipedia.

3. It has become harder for casual participants to contribute.
According to the Palo Alto Research Center, the contributions of casual and new contributors are being reversed at a much greater rate than several years ago. The result is that a steady group of high-level editors has more control over Wikipedia than ever.

A group of editors known as “deletionists” are said to “edit first and ask questions later,” making it harder for new contributors to participate, and making it harder for Wikipedia—which, again, aspires to provide “the sum of all human knowledge”—to overcome the issue that it is controlled by a stagnant pool of editors from a limited demographic.

2. Accurate contributors can be silenced.
Deletionists on Wikipedia often rely on the argument that a contribution comes from an “unreliable source,” with the editor deciding what is reliable. An incident last year showed the degree to which editors at the very top of Wikipedia were willing to rely on this crutch when it suits their purpose.

When the Taliban kidnapped New York Times reporter David Rohde in Afghanistan, the paper convinced 40 media organizations plus Wikipedia not to report on it out of concerns that it would compromise Rohde’s safety. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales told the Times, once Rohde was free, that “We were really helped by the fact that it (postings on Rohde) hadn’t appeared in a place we would regard as a reliable source.” Thus, Wales and other senior Wikipedia editors showed they were willing to rely on the “unreliable source” canard to delete information they had been told by a very reliable source was true, even when a more noble reason—Rohde’s safety—would have justified it.

And finally, the number one reason you can’t cite or rely on Wikipedia:

1. It says so on Wikipedia.
Wikipedia says, “We do not expect you to trust us.” It adds that it is “not a primary source” and that “because some articles may contain errors,” you should “not use Wikipedia to make critical decisions.”

Furthermore, as Wikipedia notes in its “About” section, “Users should be aware that not all articles are of encyclopedic quality from the start: they may contain false or debatable information.”

TMI?

Have you ever found yourself…

• Faced with too many choices in results for your research project?
• Uncertain of where to start looking for information?
• Confused when you can’t figure out something like a simple definition for a word in another language?
• Indecisive about how credible a source is?
• Unsure if you have the right to use a certain image in your paper or if you’ve quoted and cited it correctly?

Have you ever found yourself saying, “If only there was someone on campus who could help me find this out?”

Look no further! The Ames Library is staffed with professionals who can help you. Call 309-556-3900 or ask for help in our chat box to find the right person to help you untangle the web of possibilities!

Good morning and welcome to February! Over at Ames Library, we hope your semester is off to a good start and we want to make sure you are aware of some resources that can help get your feet firmly in place.

International students – Dr. Teddy Nikolova is available to assist you with academic writing, reading, and speaking.  She will be meeting with students in the Writing Center in Ames during the following hours:

This article originally appeared in The Message:

Have you made an appointment for writing help at the Writing Center yet?

The Writing Center at Illinois Wesleyan University welcomes all IWU students who would like help with their writing. They are open afternoons and evenings during the school year. They’re conveniently located on the first floor of The Ames Library.

Tutors are students at Wesleyan, and come from a variety of majors. In many cases they’ve taken the same courses in which their clients are enrolled, and have tackled similar writing assignments. They’ve taken the time to complete a non-credit, semester-long course in tutoring.

Their philosophy is simple: help student writers help themselves by acting as sympathetic readers, by asking questions, by helping students evaluate their ideas, argument, content, and style, by teaching writers invention, argumentation, drafting, and copyediting strategies they can use on their own. They help students with all the stages of the writing process, from those first rough ideas through prewriting, collecting supporting material, drafting, and final editing and proofreading. They believe that good writing takes work and benefits from several revisions and re-inventions.

Need additional help as a ESL student? Check out the ESL webpage!

APPOINTMENTS:

All appointments are now made through an online appointment software. You must have a iwu.edu email account to use our services. Now you can make and change your appointments yourself, with just a click.

Bring hard copies of both your paper and the prompt!

Papers 5 pages or less:  30 minute tutorial
Papers 5-10 pages:  60 minute tutorial
Papers 10-15 pages: 90 minute tutorial
Papers over 15 pages: 2 hour tutorial
All papers are read during the tutorial
If you’re working on a long senior sem paper, establish a relationship with a tutor early in the process.

Priority is given to appointments, but walk-ins are welcome.

Are you interested in being part of the Help@Ames team? We’re hiring!

The position of Help@Ames Student Assistant is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to develop important communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills in a customer service intensive environment. This position is also an opportunity for a student to acquire, demonstrate and develop a myriad of leadership skills. A successful applicant will need to demonstrate skill and polish in dealing with all types of IWU clients including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, retirees and parents. Each assistant must be willing and able to learn new skills and have a desire to provide excellent customer service assistance. They must also possess a strong interest in technology and library research. The assistant must be willing to develop an extensive knowledge of Ames Library resources and IT services and be able to use this information to direct, assist and refer clients appropriately. The Help@Ames Student Assistant will participate in a thorough, progressive and ongoing training regimen to assist in developing the skills necessary for the position.

If you are interested in applying for this job in the library please fill out our application.

The World Digital Library (WDL) is a project of the U.S. Library of Congress, carried out with the support of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO), and in cooperation with libraries, archives, museums, educational institutions, and international organizations from around the world.

The WDL makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from all countries and cultures.

The principal objectives of the WDL are to:

• Promote international and intercultural understanding;
• Expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet;
• Provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences;
• Build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries.

The WDL makes it possible to discover, study, and enjoy cultural treasures and significant historical documents on one site, in a variety of ways. Content on the WDL includes books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, journals, prints and photographs, sound recordings, and films.

WDL items can be browsed by place, time, topic, type of item, language, and contributing institution. The search feature can be used to search all of the metadata and descriptions and the full text of printed books on the site.

Each item on the WDL is accompanied by an item-level description that explains its significance and historical context. Additional information about selected items is provided by curator videos. Other features include advanced image-viewing, timelines, interactive maps, and in-depth thematic sections on selected topics (in preparation).

All navigation tools, bibliographic information (also known as metadata), and content descriptions are provided in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Metadata and descriptions can be listened to on a text-to-voice conversion option that is available for every item in all seven interface languages.

Content on the WDL is selected by partner institutions in accordance with guidelines set by the WDL Content Selection Committee. Content is chosen for its cultural and historical importance, with due regard to recognition of the achievements of all countries and cultures over a wide range of time periods.

Books, manuscripts, maps, and other primary materials on the site are not translated but presented in their original languages. More than 100 languages are represented on the WDL, including many lesser known and endangered languages.

Partners

Partners are mainly libraries, archives, museums, or other institutions with collections of cultural content that they contribute to the WDL. Partners also may include institutions, foundations, and private companies that contribute to the project in other ways, for example by sharing technology, convening or co-sponsoring meetings, or contributing financially.

See a current list of all partners.

Organization, Governance, and Financial Support

The WDL is an international collaboration, led by the Library of Congress, with the support of UNESCO.

The WDL Charter, adopted in 2010, designates the Library of Congress as the Project Manager, and provides for an annual partner meeting and an Executive Council elected by the partners. Under the terms of the WDL Charter, the Executive Council provides leadership and direction to the WDL. The Executive Council is chaired by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, and includes members from Brazil, China, Germany, Qatar, the United States, and UNESCO. The WDL Director at the Library of Congress is Dr. John Van Oudenaren.

To carry out its responsibilities as Project Manager, and in particular to maintain the WDL website, the Library of Congress depends upon contributions from foundations, companies, and private individuals.

Digitization Centers

While many of the partners or prospective partners that wish to contribute content to the WDL have well-established digitization programs with dedicated staff and equipment, others, particularly in the developing world, do not have access to these capabilities. Over the years, the Library of Congress has provided partners in Brazil, Russia, Egypt, Iraq, and Uganda with equipment, software, training, and financial support to establish digital conversion centers to produce high-quality digital images. Much of the content on the WDL was digitized at these centers. The WDL currently supports and receives content from three digitization centers: at the Iraqi National Library and Archives in Baghdad, at the National Library and Archives of Egypt in Cairo, and at the National Library of Uganda in Kampala.

The WDL supports UNESCO’s mission of capacity building in developing countries, and seeks to work with partners in these countries and external funders to establish additional digital conversion centers throughout the world. These centers will produce content not only for the WDL, but for other national and international projects as well.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., during his campus visit for the Religious Emphasis Banquet, 2/14/1961

There are numerous events commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Consider attending the Teach-In in the Hansen Center. This year’s theme is Voting Rights and Social Justice. All are welcome. Each session will feature table discussion and dialogue with the whole group. This event is sponsored by the Action Research Center (ARC). The 1 p.m. panel commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It features a keynote address by Vernon Burton, professor of humanities at Clemson University and professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois. Professor Burton will speak on “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 in Historical Context.” The 2 pm. panel features a lecture on “Defending Voting Rights after Shelby County” by Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the Illinois American Civil Liberties Union. In the landmark case Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court held that Congress needed better evidence of racial discrimination to require seven Southern states (along with Arizona and Alaska) to submit redistricting plans to the federal Justice Department for preclearance. Mr. Yohnka will discuss the case and its impact on the current debate over voting rights law. The 3 p.m. panel will feature a debate between the College Republicans and the College Democrats on the issue of voter identification laws. The question for debate is “Should Illinois Adopt a Voter ID Law?” The debate is sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the political science honorary society. The debate will be moderated by Chair and Professor of Political Science Greg Shaw.

Westbrook Auditorium, 4pm – This year marks the 25th annual Gospel Festival, founded by the United Community Gospel Singers of Bloomington-Normal and co-sponsored by Illinois Wesleyan University. Admission is free.

While many libraries have been named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The King Library and Archives in Atlanta is “the largest repository of primary source materials on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement in the world. Significant records which document the social, cultural, economic and political impact of the civil rights movement are housed at the King Library and Archives.” Learn more about their mission and holdings by getting in contact with an Ames Librarian.

Beckman Auditorium, Tuesday, 4pm – Part of the Perspectives on Civil Rights and Race Lecture Series sponsored by the Political Science Department, this lecture will be presented by Vernon Burton, professor of history, sociology and computer science, Clemson University. These lectures are made possible through generous grants provided by the Betty Ritchie-Birrer ’47 and Ivan Birrer Endowment Fund, the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Beckman Auditorium, Thursday, 7pm – “Man of Iron” (1981, Poland), presented by Associate Professor of Political Science Kathleen Montgomery.

Instruction Lab, Room 129

• Monday, 1pm – Psychology 321
• Tuesday, 7pm – Environmental Studies Senior Seminar
• Wednesday, 10:30am – OU Training
• Wednesday, 2pm – Nursing 485
• Thursday, 10:50am – Economics 370
• Thursday, 1:10pm – History 316
• Thursday, 3:30 – Rockin Resumes – Create a resume that employers will notice. This workshop outlines how to write a great resume and explains what makes a resume stand out from the employer’s perspective.
• Friday, 10am – Prof. Chaulagain’s Gateway

Beckman Auditorium

• Monday, 10am – United Way Leadership Program
• Tuesday, 4pm – “From Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address to the March on Washington
• Tuesday, 7pm – International Politics
• Wednesday, 6pm – Gateway: Controversies in Women’s Health
• Thursday, 7pm – International Film Series

Meeting Room, 214

• Tuesday, 1pm – Assessment Committee
• Tuesday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy
• Wednesday, 11:30am – Theatre Recruitment
• Wednesday, 2pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 1pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy
• Friday, 10am – Campus Climate Assessment Committee