AcadEmi

I couldn’t resist the cheesy pun for my title.  Feeling slightly ashamed, I was curious about how many had used it before me, so I googled the phrase and came up with a Wikipedia article about the real quote.  This was hardly surprising, given the ubiquity of Wikipedia in Google results lists, but it was appropriate: Wikipedia, like puns, frequently leaves a sense of inevitability and mild shame in those who indulge.

I find Wikipedia simultaneously maddening and fascinating, guilty and glorious, a dichotomous reaction probably shared by most of its users.  Information couldn’t be more accessible; on the other hand, it often couldn’t be less authoritative, at least in the early days.  But beyond the ease of use and need for corroboration, Wikipedia is appealingly postmodern.  In its purest form, the wiki abolishes the mirage of authority: why shouldn’t we all have a vote in what constitutes knowledge?  Who better to compile human knowledge than…all humanity? 

If I could fully embrace post-modernism, I suppose I’d stop feeling frustrated with Wikipedia.  But we aspiring librarians are understood to be rather a pragmatic bunch, and I wonder how many of us could ever stop believing in concrete, underlying truth: some explanations are overly simplistic, some answers are simply wrong.  And it’s a good thing, too.  I pity the patron who encounters a post-modernist reference librarian. 

Although I have observed plenty of errors in Wikipedia, I’ve never been able to bring myself to make an edit.  Thinking it would be a useful exercise to demonstrate my respect for the democratization of knowledge, I determined that I would try my own edit before writing this entry.  So did I conquer my wiki fear?  Alas, no - I came, I saw, I wimped out. 

When it comes down to it, I suppose I’m more comfortable reflecting knowledge that has been authoritatively compiled by others.  A nagging voice of doubt underscores my belief in facts, even when I know I know.  Today I claimed in passing that Schumacher used to race for Ferrari.  I knew my claim was true: I have an F1-obsessed, German boyfriend and I know way more about Schumacher than my curiosity could ever have required.  But when somebody expressed doubt, I immediately began questioning myself.  So perhaps I’m more postmodern than I thought.  Perhaps the key to Wikipedia is postmodern readers and old-school editors.  Perhaps I’d never make it as a reference librarian.  Perhaps the reference desk and Wikipedia will always be at ideological odds.  But I’ll bet even reference librarians succumb to the ease of Wikipedia once in a while, if only during off-hours.