Why Do We Need A Wiki?

Presented by Brian Mathews and Sarah Steiner

1. Intro: (Brian)

• What is a Wiki? A type of website that allows the visitors to easily add, remove and otherwise edit or change the available content.

• Why do we want this? Ease and quickness make wikis an effective tool for collaborative authoring.

• History - wikipedia, quickweb, bus line, what i know is

• New expectations & New possibilities Benefits for both patrons and library staff.

2. Examples of how wikis can be used in the library setting

• Georgia Tech Example of a wiki as a public services desk comminication tool.
• Georgia State University's Wiki: Used for Internal Communication and the Reference Desk Handbook. (This is a closed access wiki, but the link will take you to a few screenshots.)
• Biz Wiki: Example of a wiki as Research Guide.
• ALA Conference Wiki New Orleans: Online Conference Guidebook.
• Library Success Wiki: Provides a forum for librarians to share experiences and best practices.
• Wiki WorldCat and the University of Pennsylvania are both adding wiki elements to their OPACs. Wiki WorldCat will allow users to comment on records and Penn State allows users to tag books with keywords of their choosing.
• Aiken Gregg-Graniteville Library: Employs a wiki as its Content Management System (CMS).

3. Software (Sarah)

Examples of potential software and their costs, benefits, and drawbacks

• PBWiki
  • Free
  • password protected access
  • Offers QuickStart Guides for creating syllabi, course guides, etc.
  • Offers a SideBar for Tables of contents
• MediaWiki
  • Free, but requires a download (the others don't)
  • Appearance more easily customizable through "skins"
  • Can password protect or not
  • Originally created for Wikipedia
  • Open Source Software
• Editme
  • Costs $4.95 per month for a standard site
  • Very nice interface
  • Can password protect or not, can allow anonymous editing
  • GA Tech uses EditMe

4. Conclusion (Brian)

• Why do we need a wiki?
• Spam, errors, and vandalism
• Writely & Google Spreadsheets
• How to get started.

References and Additional Reading