Thing #15: Wikis

The wiki is a romanticized, utopian view of what sharing information on the Internet should be: an open place where the common man can contribute and share content easily to the masses. Surely libraries, who praise the dissemination of information, would approve of such a technology! The obvious positive side of wikis is that they are open and welcoming to anyone who wishes to share content. Getting a wiki to actually function the way you want it to,...well, that's a different story.

I think that wikis have a great potential for use in library systems. They can be used wherever information is shared and displayed. Wikis in libraries can have various types of collaboration: between libraries, among library staff, between staff and patrons, or just patron contribution. In fact, my library has their own staff wiki, which is helpful for finding details about programs, our tutor rooms, and where to find a notary when our library manager is out (useful information that I needed just yesterday!)

There is a wide scope as to how a wiki can be implemented at a library; they can be as simple or as intricate as you please. A Summer Reading Club wikis can share information to others on good books for young patrons to read, or information for parents on how to get their child to read more often. A local community information wikis can share information on various aspects of a community all in one place with opinions from the general population. Even a library’s home page can have a wiki section. One fantastic and simple example of a library wiki is shown at the Princeton (NJ) Public Library, where a book review wiki shows how a library community can work together to share book reviews and thoughts about literature and library services. I also like Butler (IN) University Library's Reference Wiki, which gives a complete (and I do mean complete) list of reference sources, added by users of the library.

~T