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

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

• Internet Librarian
• October 28, 2007
• Chad F. Boeninger
• boeninge_at_ohio.edu

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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

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Wiki as technical documentation
http//codex.gallery2.org/Main_Page
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Wiki as fan site
http//lostwiki.abc.com/
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Wiki as a web site
http//executiveplanet.com
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Wiki as professional organization
http//www.libsuccess.org/
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Wiki as human knowledge
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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

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Library Applications

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

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Internal Wikis

• Departmental communication
• Reference Wiki
• Stumper questions
• Assignments
• Library policies
• FAQs and links
• Meeting Minutes

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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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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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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

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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

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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

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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

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Dynamic Content
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Dynamic Content
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On the Fly Content

1. Email question from patron
2. Respond to patron
3. Similar question via IM
4. Use content of previous question to create wiki
   article
5. Answer is out of email and on the web
6. Easier future access to information

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Adding an Article
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Feedback on the Wiki

• You werent 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

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More Wiki Uses

• Student Research Wikis
• First-year experience wiki
• Campus collaboration
• Multi-disciplinary subjects (Latin American
  Studies/Womens Studies/Film)
• Collaboration among librarians

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So You Want a Wiki

• Finding a purpose
• Choosing software of service
• Setting up a wiki
• Creating a community

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Find a Purpose

• Wikis are cool, but theyre 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?

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Choosing Software
http//www.wikimatrix.org/
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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

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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

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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

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Get ideas from others
http//wikiindex.org/
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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
• Dont be a control freak

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When is a wiki done?

• Its 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Questions??