This is a very good idea;  however, it would be a mega project! I've built reference lists for the individual states of the USA while working on Mindat files. California's list alone is well over 400 pages in 12 pitch font! Updating such lists is a never ending task as well. A basic list, perhaps as you are suggesting, by topic is a reasonable goal. - the basic substantive references for each area of interest. Let's see if we get more input/ideas. Thanks for your interest in Mindat!

Chet Lemanski 

Here is an example of how that might be accomplished: have members create a series of “Mindat Guides” on mineralogy subjects. Subjects could be states of the US, mineral species and topics such as crystallography. For each Guide the information could be from Mindat, your collection, the rest of the internet and printed references. The Guide would be an organized list of web links with comments. For each reference have a citation, a link to the reference and a brief description of the reference. 

See my attempt at creating a guide for Arizona Paleontology: 

In order for the Guides to work we will need a place on Mindat to create and store the Guides. Guide creators will have to edit them as needed. Someone will have to create and maintain an index of Guides. The index will be a group of descriptions connected to web links for each Guide. We/I will have to find an elegant way to display web link addresses. On the Fossil Forum I like to bury a web address in the word “link”. When you click on “link” you are taken to a web address. Anyone know how to create such a link?

A collection of Mindat Guides fully linked in an interactive index is a better/ different way of finding information on Mindat.