Free Range Librarian

Wikipedia or encyclopedia how does one choose? Usually money helps us to make our decision. Wikipedia is so called free “the free-content encyclopedia” and supposedly fun for the user, whereas, there appears to be a fee to use the Britannica encyclopedia. In order to make a wise choice, one must understand what information is provided in each, because the integrity of the information is just as important as the cost.

In the reading Free Range Librarian the librarian saw herself as a gardener, weeding what does not belong in the garden and cultivating the grounds so that the blooms would flourish. She also used analogies that illustrated growth of mind from reading. She indicated, “with respect to information, let a thousand flowers bloom” and, “information is not a nasty-tasting medicine but a lily of the field”. That is why the resources that she recommended must have quality. It must be able to fit into the garden without causing weeds to grow (bad information or unreliable). The librarian stated some interesting points that raised the question as to whether the Wikipedia is just a credible as the Britannica encyclopedia? One question was, how can information that can be edited by anyone be trusted? Another comment made was that the Wikipedia was fast and fun which undermines quality and reflects the interest of the people creating the work. With that being said, it already raises the question of the reliability of the information.

The librarian also saw herself as a gatekeeper; someone that actively prevents people from accessing information. People rely on librarians to provide them with good information or at the very least, direction. Therefore, it is essential that the librarian can stand behind the resources that they support. However, Wikipedia’s tagline “anyone can edit” makes it difficult to support.

The role of the librarian has expanded over the years, as they no longer just need to know the Dewey Decimal system. Now they must be knowledgeable of world wide information in order to be able to help their users. As for me, I like to know that I can trust the information I use. Although, I know there may be some fallacy in the information, it still isn’t as subjective as it is with Wikipedia, since anyone can edit. And the individual editing the information will probably put their spin on the information. I guess you can call me “old fashion”, but I’ll stick with the encyclopedia for now.


Schneider, K. G. "Free Range Librarian." 22 Mar. 2007 -http://freerangelibrarian.com/archives/052905/wikipedia.php-.