1	The Wonderful World of Wikis: Applications for Libraries Chad F. Boeninger Five Weeks to a Social Library March 1, 2006
2	What is a Wiki? A website in which content can be created and edited by a community of users Best example is Wikipedia Strength of the resource is often dependent on the strength of the community
3	Origin of Wikis Originally used for collaboration in technical fields (programmers) Now wikis have a variety of purposes http://katrinahelp.info http://guitarwiki.com http://www.cookbookwiki.com Best known wiki today is the Wikipedia
4	Library Applications Wikis for internal library communication Wikis as collaborative tools for the larger organization Wikis to communicate with library users
5	Internal Wikis Departmental communication Reference Wiki Stumper questions Assignments Library policies FAQ’s and links Meeting Minutes
6	Internal Wikis Wiki content becomes a knowledgebase Content is keyword searchable Content can be organized by category to allow easy browsing Anyone can add/edit/read content regardless of location RSS feeds available for new edits
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10	Group Collaboration A library-hosted wiki can put the library at the center of a project A wiki can be used to bring groups together in a virtual space Reduce the barrage of email Example: Learning Communities
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13	External Wiki Applications Communicate with library users Wiki as a research guide Use to replace traditional html research guides/pathfinders Communicate sources to researchers and library users
14	Traditional Research Guides Research guide = subject guide = pathfinder Popular method of disseminating library information Previously had 3 research guides Business, International Business, Marketing
15	Traditional Research Guides Redundancy of resources No interlinking Multiple edits of the same content Not searchable No way to measure use Timely updates are difficult
16	The Wiki Process Installed MediaWiki on our server Added most useful content from old research guides Wiki organization evolved while adding content
17	The Biz Wiki Organized by area of research need Browse by category or alphabet Searchable by keyword Users can edit/add content Interlinked articles allow for increased access to information
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20	Reference Content Key reference resources Guides to common questions Definitions of terms Examples: Demographics USA Doing Business in Another Country Company Annual Reports
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24	Instruction Content Wikis make excellent teaching tools Replace class handouts Broader scope than class specific handouts Example: Industry Research Basics
25	On the Fly Content
26	“On the Fly” Content Email question from patron Respond to patron Similar question via IM Use content of previous question to create wiki article Answer is out of email and on the web Easier future access to information
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28	Popular Pages Feature Popular Pages See what is being used Useful for collection development See what you need to create more of Automobile Industry Guide
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30	Feedback on the Wiki “You weren’t around, so I showed them the Biz Wiki Guide to Doing Business in Another Country, and they were satisfied.”--Reference Librarian “I had no idea how to find a swot analysis, so I just searched for ‘swot’ in the Biz Wiki, and low and behold, you had an article on finding a SWOT analysis.” ---Reference Librarian
31	More Wiki Uses Student Research Wikis First-year experience wiki Campus collaboration Multi-disciplinary subjects (Latin American Studies/Women’s Studies/Film) Collaboration among librarians
32	Is a Wiki for You? Wikis are flexible Wikis can be adapted to meet your needs Wikis save time Wikis require frequent contributions and edits
33	Lessons Learned Have a purpose Will the wiki offer something new? Provide structure A blank wiki is difficult to use Be flexible A wiki may be used differently than you intended
34	More Lessons Learned Have reasonable expectations Your users may not think wikis are as cool as you do Be patient People appreciate innovation, but need time to adapt to new technologies
35	Questions??