Wiki Wiki Why?
Dear Tabitha,
You asked about wikis...
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| Wiki is Hawaiian for "quick." Photo from Wikimedia. |
Wikis are a type of website that has many authours. Primarily used for collaboration or organization, Wiki web pages are very accessible because users don’t need to know HTML to edit text and links. Wikis were first used by computer programmers to work together from afar; today they’re everywhere. The most famous example is Wikipedia; although, personal notetaking and list-making apps, like OneNote, are also considered wikis.
Comparison Activity:
The first wiki we looked at was HLWIKI International. I clicked on the first link after home, Medical libraries portal, and laughed; the first thing I read was: “Update: this entry is out of date and will not be updated.” Hahaha. My initial impression was that this wiki is extensive but you needed the time to dig to get quality/up-to-date information...I wasn't willing to spend the time and the "update" was discouraging. The second wiki, Library Success, looked like a blog. Actually, I'm not sure why it's considered a wiki. Because the comments aren't limited? However, this site is up to date. The third wiki, Benson School Library was my favourite. Although it's not used anymore, and not very visually appealing, the purpose(s) of the wiki pages were clear: reference pages by subject and time of year, a staff page with "techtorials," class competition results, and so on.
My Opinion of Wikis:
It’s a question of whether your library is close to a utopia or not. If you have a healthy, smart, respectful community, a wiki could be great for collaboration. But the ability for ANYONE to edit pages on the wiki site at ANY TIME is potentially a nightmare. The key, it seems, is access. Those who need or want to collaborate could use a closed wiki. I’m sure such exists by now.
Example Uses In Libraries Include:
“At some point, a successful wiki will become part of the library's culture"
—Lauren Pressley, Wikis for Libraries, p. 91
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