- "Producing information for others in online environments can give young people a starting point for reflecting on where information comes from; such experiences support second-order information literacy skills, which require students to reflect on the nature of information production…If we want to develop a more local, shared sense of responsibility, continuing efforts to incorporate public information production in classrooms should include opportunities for students to support and challenge one another in justifying and critiquing claims, as is done by co-authors on Wikipedia."8
The Wikipedia Library did not create this trend, but it has helped accelerate it through efforts to improve the work and lives of Wikipedia's editors, readers, and the network of librarians that support them. TWL's annual #1lib1ref campaign built on that momentum with a simple social media-friendly call to action: imagine a world in which every librarian added one more reference to Wikipedia. Imagine a world in which librarians were as much contributors to Wikipedia as they are critical consumers of its content.
For Editors: A Wikipedia Library Card
"When I got my library card, that’s when my life began."
— Rita Mae Brown
The founding mission of The Wikipedia Library is to connect content editors on Wikimedia projects with the reliable sources they needed to develop articles—to ensure that the content is supported by the highest quality sources, and to open up topics not covered by locally available or free online references.
One Iranian recipient of TWL access from JSTOR described:
- "Things changed when the international sanctions against Iran expanded and included banking transactions. Subscription fees could not be paid and the growing difficulties reduced my motivation to work on Wikipedia for free. However, thanks to the Wikipedia Library, I received JSTOR access, which incorporates Iranian Studies; this new access allowed me to continue my work on articles like Kelidar, the longest Persian novel.