Method 10

1.First, please take a look at some library wikis to see how they are being used in Library Land.

2.Next, play around and gain some experience adding to a wiki by adding a few of your favorite things to the Library Development A Dozen Ways to Two Step Favorites wiki. (Note: this is a wiki we created using PBworks, one of the many free wiki tools available today.)

I think wikis are an excellent resource for pooling information and coordinating information among people. I use Wikipedia as a pop culture reference and have learned a lot from reading it myself. I know many people think Wikipedia is not as accurate as more traditional sources, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, since anyone can edit it, but a study concluded that is just as accurate as other sources. As long as a Wiki is moderated properly, it can be an incredible information source.

I have edited a few articles myself in Wikipedia, so I know how easy it is to use. The concept is simple and I think this is the main reason for its success (and the success of other wikis). Anyone can contribute with their knowledge and it's not overly complicated.

The library wikis that were posted were quite interesting and made me want to click on each succesive link for more information. I can imagine other people do this as well when they visit a wiki.

I liked the way the St. Joseph County Subject Guide was set up. It was clean and uncluttered with links to many good sites. I also enjoy the flexibility with a wiki. The St. Joseph site has a page for local authors and local history. The good thing about a wiki is that anyone can add to the database. If someone else knows a local author, they can add that information.

One application of a wiki would be as a place to store useful internet links and sites. I know we share a lot of internet links as resources but we usually share them through e-mail, print, or in person. If we collected them all together and put them in one central location, it would be easier to find the right link when we need it. We could also build upon the links to create a more comprehensive database. We could see the subjects where we don't have any resources and find some to fit the subjects.