The process of setting up a wiki as a tool for knowledge sharing in a public library

1
The process of setting up a wikias a tool for
knowledge sharing in a publiclibrary

• Internet Librarian 2008
• Karolien Selhorst Public Library of Vlissingen

2

• When competing hoard your knowledge, but when
  collaborating share it
• (David Gurteen KM consultant)

3
The Public Library of Vlissingen

• The library is situated in the heart
• of Zeeland (The Netherlands)
• Apart from the main building, the library
  provides services for the nearby situated
  village, the local hospital and several schools.

4
The Public Library of Vlissingen

• To stay relevant in the future
• we want to provide more
• specialist and tailor-made services to our
  users.

5
Better use of hidden staff talent

• In order to realise this ambition, the
• library wants to make more and
• better use of hidden staff talent and facilitate
  knowledge sharing
• A knowledge audit was organised.
• One of the findings was that the intranet did not
  meet the needs of library workers

6
Wiki as intranet alternative

• Despite the low popularity of the
• intranet, library workers indicated
• that they were eager to share knowledge through
  a similar medium
• The idea for a wiki, essentially a
  knowledge-sharing tool, arose

7
What is a wiki?

• A wiki is a website that allows
• visitors to add, remove, edit and
• change content. (Wikipedia)
• Wiki quick (in Hawaiian)
• Open or closed

8
Why wiki?

• Easy and quick to edit and update
• Anyone can make changes
• Low barrier for sharing
• Content is free-form
• Flexible and thus supports incremental knowledge
  creation

9
Library wikis in practice

• Staff intranet team collaboration
• and communication
• Co-operative projects and collaborative authoring
• Knowledge repository/KM tool
• Subject guides
• Planning spaces

10
Setting up a wiki in 6 steps
11
Step 1Planning

• Evaluation of workplace culture
• and environment
• Establishing the purpose and the scope of the
  wiki
• Early involvement of future users
• Identifying resources for creating and
  maintaining the wiki
• Choice of wiki software and wiki host

12
Step 2 Wiki design

• Lay-out/visual design
• Initial structure of the wiki
• Seeding initial content
• Creating documentation and policy rules for the
  wiki, the so-called wikiquette , but do not
  focus on the rules!
• Assigning user roles and setting access controls
• Wiki sandbox

13
Step 3Testing

• Careful selection of test unit to run
• a pilot early-adopters advocate
• wiki use
• Testing involved proofreading initial content,
  testing links, basic functions, wiki usability
• Importance of involving future users feedback

14
Step 4Launching the wiki and training users

• Training sessions are being
• organised
• Promotion focus on advantages of wiki use and
  involvement of pilot group

15
Step 5Managing and maintaining

• Wiki gardener one person
• responsible for moderating
• discussions, reviewing content, reviewing wiki
  structure to make content easy accessible by
  everyone

16
Step 6 Wiki evaluation

• The evaluation of the
• implementation process
• The evaluation of the wiki wiki statistics and
  user surveys

17
This is it!
18
The future?

• At the moment, we are developing
• a software that will complement the
• the wiki and support the way library staff deals
  with customer enquiries.
• Based on teams of knowledge experts
• A revolutionary new way of working in a Dutch
  public library

19
Wiki lessons learned

• The success of a wiki depends on
• user contribution and enthousiasm
• Involve your end-users from the beginning
• Reward people for contributing to the wiki
• A wiki is a tool that complements, but not
  replaces face-to-face sharing
• Seed the wiki
• Integrate the wiki in daily working practice

20
Questions?

• Selhorst.karolien_at_telenet.be