I know that this discussion has librarians everywhere bashing their collective heads against the wall, but our students (and staff) somehow remain enamored with Wikipedia.  Let me be clear on my stance – Wikipedia is a valid source for quick answers to unimportant questions but it is not a reliable credible academic source.  Yet.  Simple as that.

The Globe and Mail published an article as part of their annual university review dealing with Wikipedia, with a brilliant quote from non other than the founder himself.  Jimmy Wales summed up his thought on the prevalence of Wikipedia in university level essays by saying “For God’s sake, you’re in college; don’t cite the encyclopedia.”