Week 3: Wikis

What is a wiki?

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content. With the benefits that wikis provide the use and popularity of these tools is exploding.  WIKIS ARE COOL!!

Some of the benefits that make wikis so attractive are:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated when needed.
• And users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.

Enjoy  Wikis in Plain English, a Commoncraft Show on YouTube

Find out more about wikis:

WikiMatrix – useful tool for comparing the features of various wikis

Wiki, wiki, wiki – from PLCMC’s own Core Compentency blog

What is a Wiki? – Library Success wiki presentation

Using Wikis to Create Online Communities – a good overview of what a wiki is and how it can be used in libraries

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What are some examples of wikis?

Libraries across the country are embracing wikis for many different applications

• Collaborative workspace for staff working on a large project
• As a subject guide for complex topics
• As a FAQ site for difficult research questions in a library
• To share book reviews
• To record and share meeting/conference proceedings
• As easily update policy/procedure manuals

	the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest & perhaps the most well known of these knowledge sharing tools, search for “Connecticut State Library”
	Grand Rapids Public Library’s wiki
	Libsuccess, a space for librarians to share success stories including staff manuals, subject guides, & project management
	Developed by Colorado College to provide links to “all sorts of government information”
	Developed by Princeton Public Library for a summer reading program for adults
	Examples of wikis used for collaboration between library staff
	University of Connecticut Libraries Staff wiki
	Teen Lib Wiki, a database for and by librarians serving teens.
	Educational Wikis, examples of educational wikis.

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Learning Activities

1. For this discovery exercise, take a look at some library wikis and blog about your findings.   What did you find interesting? What types of applications within libraries might work well with a wiki? What other ways could you use wikis at your library?

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Optional

Want to set up your own wiki? Try one of these tools: PBWiki, WetPaint or WikiSpaces. Post your thoughts and comments to your blog.

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