What kind of topics cannot be edited in Wiki?
Is there any tool, like a citation machine that converts a bibliographic description into Wiki reference?
Are there any useful topics that people need for their general knowledge that are not edited in Wikipedia yet?
Today we visit the Farragut Houses for the last time. We need to pay very close attention to details in order to write a good report. Also, we will take new pictures and draw new sketches. In addition, we will have the opportunity to meet a NYCHA representative. It is a relief to think we meet in an intersection I saw before: Plymouth and Hudson. I hope to see details that I missed in my previous visits. I also hope to learn new things from the NYCHA representative who will be there today. I like asking questions and I expect him to welcome them. I am looking forward to meeting everybody today at 10:00 am.
Today our class met at New York Public Library in room 215 to visualize a map collection. It was very impressive to learn that the collection includes maps as old as 1776. Although these precious sources of information are a great benefit for historical studies, some of them cannot be digitalized to be accessed online. The librarian informed us that the maps older than 1920 are not and cannot be digitalized.
We were shown map sheets and atlases made from 1776 to nowadays. Most maps we were able to visualize in room 215 were carefully arranged with book marks for us to study our area of interest: Vinegar Hills. One atlas in particular dated 1941 had an introductive word that showed the plan of the City of New York to demolish buildings on Fulton Street.
Today’s visit was very instructive. I was able to learn how to access maps online. I also got a library card today. It was a very easy and fast process. In less than five minutes, I received my card. The librarian guided me in the electronic study of maps and explained me this is a difficult research process. He e-mailed me a link for a quicker access.
http://maps.nypl.org/warper/maps/17423#Export_tab
Besides being a place of study, New York Public Library, located in Manhattan at 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues also represents a touristic objective. This summer, I visited this place with my family as the building represents a great architectural attraction. It was a really impressive visit and I am looking forward to go there again tomorrow for a second visit.
Our tomorrow’s objective is to study the map collection from 10 am to 12:30pm. I am very eager to see some of them, as there is impossible to see the whole collection in such a short time. According to Knutzen, (2013) the collection includes 433,000 sheet maps. A better way to study more maps would be viewing them in a digitalized form.
In “Unbinding the Atlas: Moving the NYPL Map Collection beyond Digitization,” the author informs us that the process of digitalization was started in 2000. The purpose of digitalization was to grant access at the global level to the map. (Knutzen, 2013) On line availability of maps was done through a long and complicated process. It was a combined effort of map librarians, GIS professionals, and other experts.
I am looking forward to enrich my knowledge with the map collection. I also hope that we will get a quick overview on accessing maps in the electronic version. Although there will be an extremely short time for our visit, I expect to learn more about this library, the sources it has and how to access them.
Reference:
On Monday, October 19th, our class had the opportunity to become part of an exchange of ideas with a group of students who major in architecture. We walked to the building where Architecture classes are held and met the other group of students. The first think to notice in their classroom was a large variety of building models. We, as a class, were divided in three groups and the Architecture students were separated the same way.
We presented our class focus and they explained us the way they learn and work on their projects. We informed them about our site visits, about our reports, our project on Vinegar Hills that includes Farragut Houses, and our ultimate goal of writing about this project buildings in Wikipedia. We mentioned to them how we divided our research work, what research tools we found and used so far, and what we will work from now on.
The Architecture students showed us their projects, how they analyze the area of Farragut Houses, and their plans. They informed us that one of their class assignment consists of making plans for adding around the projects some commercial buildings with the purpose of making this area safer, especially at night. This way, more people will walk around during the day and the night.
Our visit to the architecture building of New York City College of Technology was interesting and informative. We were encouraged to ask questions and the students and their professor were able to answer them. This way we were able to learn new things and share our experience with them. The most interesting thing from this visit in their class were the models. I am looking forward to learning more about Farragut Houses.
Nicoleta Koubek
Five primary sources are the websites of
Wikipedia
Surprisingly, Wikipedia is only fourteen years old. Wikipedia encounters a great challenge. While new editors are not welcome, the number of editors is in decline. It is only 18% of the editors who represent the new comers. In order for Wikipedia to survive, more new comers should be accepted. There is a tendency of the older editors to delete articles posted by newer ones. In my opinion, the greatest challenge of Wikipedia is not new technology such as smartphones, but the way new editors are treated. Wikipedia has a greater chance to survive if new editors are encouraged to post instead of having their postings erased.
References:
Lih, A. (2015, June 20). Can Wikipedia Survive? Retrieved October 3, 2015 from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/can-wikipedia-survive.html?_r=0
Postrel, V. (Nov 17, 2014). Who Killed Wikipedia? Retrieved October 3, 2015 from
http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/killed-wikipedia-93777
Why Does Wikipedia Work? (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2015 from
http://www.npr.org/2013/10/04/191625835/why-does-wikipedia-work
The OpenLab is an open-source, digital platform designed to support teaching and learning at City Tech (New York City College of Technology), and to promote student and faculty engagement in the intellectual and social life of the college community.
