So, here I am, barrelling down the homestretch of WEB 2.0. The link to the video "Wikis in Plain English" seems to have expired, but I was able to access the video on YouTube. The video was short and sweet and provided just the right amount of information to propel a new user into Wikidom. After watching the video, it occurred to me that a Wiki could provide the perfect platform for my five siblings and me to plan our family reunion. We've been trying to do this for a while via email (between the six of us, our families reside in four different states), but our communications have become clunky and I, for one, have lost track of several of the correspondences. A Family Reunion Wiki would allow us to collaborate and share our thoughts and ideas about date, location, cost, activities, meals, etc.
Regarding the use of Wikis in libraries (and by the way, I love knowing that Wiki, means "quick" in Hawaiian!), it appears that our current success with the SRC Patron Blogs for teens and adults is a strong indicator of the public's interest in being part of the online library community. I love the idea of adding Wiki functionality to the catalog to enable library patrons to post their own online reviews of book, movies, and databases. It will be interesting to see how the Wiki process evolves in Worldcat over the next few months.
I have found our system Wikis to be useful resource and information sharing tools. I've especially appreciated the MatMan Wiki and have frequently made use of the display sign-sharing section (I have both contributed and borrowed sign designs). I also appreciated the use of Wikis by this years LRP Task Forces. It was extremely beneficial to be able to post and read comments. The LRP Wikis opened up the library's planning process to all interested staff in a meaningful and productive manner.
I spent a few minutes reading through the Library Success: Best Practices Wiki and found several useful posts. One that caught my eye during these times of shortages was the quick tip on weeding: take 15 minutes once a week to assess, weed, and deal with the books on one shelf in your assigned area. That's my kind of work plan - ussing time management skills to get the job done:-)
In conclusion, I can say that I agree with this exploration's title: Wikis are wonderful! And as a quick addendum, I just had an interaction with a patron that suggested another great use for Wikis: collaborating on family genealogical research. This woman is part of a family group of almost 300 people who are all searching for information on a relative who was an early settler. Imagine the potential of a Family Genealogy Wiki to share questions, tips, and findings!
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