Wikis in Libraries: Enhancing Services, Promoting Sources, and Building Community

1. Wikis in Libraries: Enhancing Services, Promoting Sources, and Building Community Library 2.0 Seminar June 13, 2007 Chad F. Boeninger boeninge@ohio.edu

2. What is a Wiki? • A website in which content can be created and edited by a community of users • Strength of the resource is often dependent on the strength of the community

3. Wiki as technical documentation http://codex.gallery2.org/Main_Page

4. Wiki as fan site http://lostwiki.abc.com/

5. Wiki as a web site http://executiveplanet.com

6. Wiki as professional organization http://www.libsuccess.org/

7. Wiki as human knowledge

8. What about blogs? • Typically have better RSS • Reverse-chronological posting • Searchable, but results not as useful • Can be browsed, but is limited • Authored by one or a few

9. Library Applications • Wikis for internal library communication • Wikis as collaborative tools for the larger organization • Wikis to communicate with library users

10. Internal Wikis • Departmental communication • Reference Wiki • Stumper questions • Assignments • Library policies • FAQ’s and links • Meeting Minutes

12. 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

17. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Wiki as a Research Guide • Previously had 3 research guides • Business Research Guide • International Business Research Guide • Marketing Research Guide • Redundancy of resources • No interlinking • Multiple edits of the same content

23. The Biz Wiki http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/ • 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

29. Dynamic Content

30. Dynamic Content

31. “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

33. Adding an Article

35. 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 industry financial ratios, so I just searched for ‘ratios’ in the Biz Wiki, and low and behold, you had an article that helped me help the patron.” --Reference Librarian

36. 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

37. So You Want a Wiki • Finding a purpose • Choosing software of service • Setting up a wiki • Creating a community

38. Find a Purpose • Wikis are cool, but they’re not the next hula hoop, iPod, or Uggs. • What void will the wiki fill? • How will it make communication and collaboration easier? • How do others feel about the current system?

39. Choosing Software http://www.wikimatrix.org/

40. Locally Hosted Options • Require experience with administrating dynamic websites (php & MySQL) • Require a desire to experiment with open source software • Allow for plentiful options for customizing look and feel • Data lives on your server

41. Wiki farms/services • Requires very little technical experience • Free versions can be slow • Limited options for customization • No need to worry about upgrades • Support can vary, but is better than DIY

42. Setting up a wiki • Populate with existing data or create new content • Seek input from potential users about content and layout • Get/steal ideas from others

43. Get ideas from others http://wikiindex.org/

44. Creating a community • Start with a core group of users to add content and build momentum • Get buy-in from others • Reference wiki articles in blog posts, emails, and other communication methods • Don’t be a control freak

45. When is a wiki done? • It’s never done • A static wiki defeats the purpose of a wiki • Maintain links, create new pages, edit old ones to insure viability of the wiki

46. 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

47. Wiki Challenges • Getting others to contribute • Faculty, students, other librarians • More content = more maintenance • Maintaining organization and structure with growth of content • Difficult to see new content • Spam, Spam, and more Spam

48. Wiki Strengths • Extend the reach of the librarian • Promote sources • Teach research skills • Make the job of the librarian easier • Make information and knowledge more accessible • Potential for contributing to the academic learning community

49. 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

50. 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