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ALA Programs on Reference – Preservation of eReference and the Wikipedia Effect

June 22nd, 2011 · by spolanka · No Comments

As you prepare your ALA Annual schedule, please consider the following two programs sponsored by the RUSA Reference Publishing Advisory Committee and the Reference Books Bulletin Advisory Board.
RUSA Reference Publishing Advisory Committee Program:
Reference Publishing: Preservation Trends & Issues – June 25 Sat 1:30-3:30
As electronic reference products transform to electronic formats, often with continuously updated content instead of one time publications, new challenges for archiving and preservation arise. Building on recent developments for archiving electronic books and journal content, this program will highlight the issues and challenges of preserving free and licensed e-reference content as well as foster discussion on possible solutions.
Panelists:
  • Heather Ruland Staines, Sr. Manager eOperations at Springer Science + Business Media
  • Ken DiFiore, Associate Director, Outreach & Participation Services,Portico
  • Marie McCaffrey, Executive Director, HistoryLink.org
  • Jacob Nadal, Preservation Officer, UCLA Library

Reference Books Bulletin Advisory Board Program:

The Wikipedia Effect: How Wikipedia Has Changed the Way the World Finds and Evaluates Information

Wikipedia is undoubtedly the most used reference source in the world today–with over 400 million unique users in March 2011 alone– and perhaps the most used information source in all of human history.  Its ease of access, rapid updates, unlimited size, and free access make it convenient, current, and comprehensive.  At the same time, its design features, which allow anonymous authorship and limited editing, have created questions about its accuracy and biases.

Love it or hate it, Wikipedia has changed how the world finds and uses encyclopedia-type information.  This program will investigate the impact of Wikipedia on traditional reference sources.  Three speakers, representing librarians, publishers, and Wikipedia itself, will discuss how Wikipedia has changed the ways that reference information is produced, used, and evaluated.  Join in this lively discussion of the impact of Wikipedia on the landscape of reference sources and services.

When: Monday June 27, 10:30am-Noon

Where: Convention Center Room 345

Moderator: David Tyckoson, Chair, Reference Books Bulletin Editorial Board and Associate Dean, California State University, Fresno

Speaker: Debra Hoffman, Information Literacy Coordinator, California State University, Channel Islands
Speaker: Paul Kobasa, Editor-in-Chief; Vice President, Editorial, World Book. Inc.
Speaker: Phoebe Ayers, Board Member, Wikipedia Foundation, and Librarian, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Davis

Categories: Academic Libraries,Conferences/Events,Discovery,Preservation,Public Libraries,Reference Publishing,School Libraries