User:Amy.guerrero/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Montgomery County Public Libraries - Wikipedia

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
As an employee of Montgomery County Public Libraries, I am very familiar with the system's programming and services. Additionally, the Wikipedia note at the top of the page states that the article is written as promotional material, with unreliable sources. At first glance, this is definitely true. Almost all the sources come from the Montgomery County Public Libraries' website, which makes the article unbiased. The information is also outdated as it still mentions the 2016-17 strategic goals of the organization. Overall, the article would benefit from better sources, a neutral point of view, and updated information.

Evaluate the article

 * Sections
 * I would suggest adding an image to the History section, such as the first library branch in MCPL or a central library in the system.
 * A source needs to be added to the first paragraph of the Privileges section.
 * The second paragraph seems like its a summary of their website. So this is unnecessary.
 * In the Branches section, I suggest separating them by regions, such as Rockville, Bethesda, etc. That way, you can also list the central branches of each region. The central branches are typically larger and offer more programming.
 * This information should be added before the bit on renovations: "In addition to publicly accessible branches, MCPL operates a branch at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility."
 * Services
 * This information again reads as promotional material considering that is comes directly from their website. I'm also wondering how this section is any different from other library systems' services.
 * This is irrelevant: "MCPL also offers an Outreach Team that can visit community events to share information about services and sign individuals up for library cards.
 * Sources
 * I would suggest removing all sources/sections that come directly from MCPL's website. When doing research on the Nashville Public Library, I was able to find a great deal of information through scholarly resources. That information was especially helpful when building the History section of the article.
 * The strategic goals should be removed from the Governance section unless we can find another source for them. Not only are they irrelevant to the section, but they're also outdated. These goals would need to be updated every three years in order to stay relevant, and that information is already public online. Additionally, it reads as promotional material.
 * There is a photo of the current director on the citation for this section, which could be a nice media addition to the article.


 * Tone
 * Overall, the tone is neutral but reads as promotional material? I think it's hard not to promote a library system when discussing their services, so maybe changing the source material would help alleviate this problem. As of now it mostly summarizes what is already public information. I think the DC Public Library article would be a nice place to start for inspiration, since it's the closest to MCPL and shares similar information.