I read Amy's post and I found it interesting. For the most part, I have called my databases "online subscription databases". My students never really had a hard time with the term databases. I typically begin the year by teaching students how to differentiate between non-subscription and subscription sources. Since my students are required to cite sources using MLA, the library provides Noodlebib. Noodlebib requires students to differentiate between "subscription databases" and "websites". I tailor what I teach to what is required in the classroom. To call databases something other than databases at this point in time would probably cause some students undue stress when it comes time to cite sources :)

Now back to Wikipedia. I am not totally against Wikipedia. I use it to find current tech information and some pop culture facts. It is user friendly. I like the mind map feature. However, I still like to know the authority of my information. It matters. I think that unintermediated information is great for hobbyist but edited info is a requirement for most researchers. I would feel better about Wikipedia if there were more editorial controls, less acts plagiarism, and a reduction of vandalism.

The fact that probably less than 30% of households use state provided resources should make librarians feel clueless. Librarians are the, perhaps unsaid, professionals entrusted and responsible for marketing these publicly funded resources. I present subscription databases to parents at open houses, to teachers during in-service training, and to students in relation to research assignments and personal needs. With meaningful instruction, these sources are not impossible to use. We need to promote these resources asap. I think that if we wait until companies make databases easier to use, they will disappear.

Now I know that my students will not use subscription databases at all times. I teach students how to locate and evaluate websites to include Wikipedia (I love showing students the history tab of an article!). Once students learn that not all information is created equally, they are able to choose wisely.

By the way, we need to be information/media literacy teachers so that we are not replaced by garden gnomes as were most of the travel agents :) Have a great school year.