Wikis

I have of course used Wikipedia in the course of my library duties but have had nothing to do with Wikis in general. What a great way to collect and share information providing that contributors meet the standards of quality and accuracy.

The first of the three wikis I chose to look at was Wisconsin Heritage Wiki. They are attempting to have all cultural institutions submit their digital content for access and the provide education and training opportunities. I found this site to be rather formal and technical, it didn't beckon me to stick around and I also found the format rather boring.

I then moved on the the Booklovers wiki created by Princeton Public Library where you were able to read and create reviews of book. You need to be enrolled in their summer reading club to be able to submit a revue so this makes it a locals only type Wiki. This was a very friendly, eyegrabbing site which even offers prizes to participants. There were simple instructions on how to write a review pointing out that approximately 50% of content should be a summary and the rest, your reactions to the book with your star rating. I found this site engaging and encouraging.

Next was the Montana History wiki. This wiki is not open to editing but you are able to email your comments which would allow you to point out anything that you considered to be lacking or in error. This wiki had a guide prominently featured for quick reference to disasters, firsts, place names, Montana symbols and elected officials and was easy and interesting to navigate.

I can see that wikis would be a wonderful way to share information in the library, although I presume it would have to be a closed model to combat vandalism. Unfortunately in NSW with funding issues and staff shortages there could be a problem with the wiki not being constantly updated and kept interesting and relevant.