Reference in the Age of Wikipedia, Or Not...

Abstract

The title of my talk today is purposefully provocative. But it is not because I believe that reference in the age of Wikipedia is dead, but rather that in the time of Wikipedia we need to be able to ask and answer the question implied by the, “or not…” We all know that the old models of reference work no longer are adequate. Our challenge is to be able to affirmatively explain what it is we do and how it adds value.

Today I want to cover a number of topics. I’ll start with a definition and move to a consideration of alphabetical order. We will proceed to a short history lesson on three revolutions. Then I will present an opening quote and an example of the world we live in. We will then move to part one of a consideration of change using the work of Clayton Christensen. After an interlude with ChaCha, we will consider change in light of the work of Clay Shirky. After that we will sample some wisdom from Paul Krugman and Wired, looking at “Free” and “Better than Free.” We will finish with four questions, some answers, an uplifting quote, and a final challenge.