Authority

In the glossary, authority is defined as: The education and experience of the authors, editors, and contributors of a source, as well as the reputation of the publisher or sponsoring agency.
 
For me, in terms of information, authority refers to someone who is an "expert in their field."  In general terms, someone in authority is powerful and in charge.

How important is this in the library?  I think it is important for us to teach students about sources of information and how different sources may have different levels of reliability.  (I don't know that we specifically need to use the term "authority," as I think it is a term and idea that students want to rebel against!)  Because students have instant access to information that may have come from dubious sources, they need to be able to evaluate those sources and their reliability.  When looking up information for school projects, they students need to be aware that the source of information appropriate to use may be different than those appropriate for a general inquiry - there is a difference!  I think this difference is important to impart in our students.

Aaron pointed out that, right now, "authority is popularity."  I agree that this rule is relished by teens and further solidified by Google. Students need to be aware of the difference between authority and popularity and also how it is that the beloved Google comes up with a list of recommended resources for a subject (ie. Page Rank).

In regards to authority being something that is "relative" or a "moving target" - I think it can be both.

Information and knowledge is continuously growing and changing. An "authority" on genetics that I used in the 1980s may no longer be the go-to authority!

Similarly, if I want to repair the leg on my dining room chair, do I need to seek out the expertise of a master carpenter? Or can I just call my dad and ask for some tips? Or use Wikipedia (heaven forbid!)?

Anne pointed out that, at times, Wikipedia can actually be the most accurate source of information out there.  Can it be seen as an authority?  I think this is a little tricky because of the nature of Wikipedia.  A post on one topic may be very accurate and useful, while another topic may be riddled with errors.  Does one need to know the topic already before using Wikipedia?  That hardly makes sense!  So how do we know if the information given on this ever changing site is accurate, and authoritative, or not???