Wiki Wiki Who's Got the Wiki

This week we're learning about wikis and how they're used in various settings. Two teams that I'm on have had wikis for approximately 8 months and I've found them very useful.

• Available from any "connected" computer
• No additional software needed
• Easily edited
• Great place to keep a variety of information together - forms, minutes, ideas, etc.

I've been using a wiki during this Learning 2.0 at the Beach program to gather all the readings, links and videos in one place! Blogs are chronological and posts will "fall off" the page (into archives to be sure, but not "seen"!) while a wiki can organize the materials into logical pages. Our wiki is a fast way for anyone to go back to find readings, videos and other resources without having to search archives or remember dates. Our wiki is open to everyone but it does require a password to edit. Our password is: Library. Feel free to edit away!

I can see wikis becoming more and more important to teams in the library - as collaborative tools that could take the place of some face-to-face meetings, especially when planning events or programs. Having a "holding place" for all the ideas and suggestions that occur during brainstorming is wonderful - without the need for flipcharts or smelly markers! The ability to add information, edit and re-arrange material without having to leave your building will become more and more important as staffing becomes tighter and tighter! (NOTE: Wireless will become more and more important as we start to use this technology. It may be that a couple team members can meet in person while other members are remote - wireless would allow the meeting to occur where people were most comfortable and not crammed around an already crowded desk! - my editorial comment is now over! )

In addition to internal use, wikis could be a wonderful tool for our "external" customers too. As other libraries have done, having a wiki that allows customers to add content (Best Books, etc.) would be wonderful. It would allow the library to truly connect with our customers and could help in developing our collections to provide the materials our customers want! I would like to explore how other libraries are using wikis in combination with their ILS and online catalogs! Something to think about for the future.