Wikis with Will

This week we are starting to look at Wikis. I found the article about the German language version of Wikipedia interesting, shows how involved people can become when they are given open ownership of information combined with the responsibility of maintaining the correctness of that information.

OK it's Discover Time.

I looked at the Wookieepedia. Firstly I found the play on names highly witty and interesting. I was taken by the ownership and forward looking of the creators and Wikiians. (I can not think of a nother name for them/us.) A great collaborative venture. This type of Wiki could be used by Librarians as an extension of Book Groups or Study Groups. This setup would allow Wikiians to create a world in which the characters they read about grow and develop, while at the same time encouraging "readers" to expand their ways of thinking, absorbing text, plot lines etc, and developing a group approach to study and though processing.

Next I looked at Library Success: a Best Practice Wiki. I liked the inclusiveness of this Wiki. It's goal to be "a one-stop shop for great ideas and informtion for all types of librarians" I though was abit high, but it appears to be what it set out to be. I especially liked the inviation/request of adding your own user profile page. this is a great way of building a community. I think this has abvious library uses - as outlined in the name. (If only I could get an RSS feed from there it would be magic.)


Thirdly I looked at Book Lovers Wiki. As the names suggest a community Wiki for readers and their discussions, reviews etc on what books they are reading, or have read. Highly applicable to libraries as a means of sharing information about what books are hot and why or what books are not hot and why. Could also be used as part of the Who Writes Like, or even for creating booklists etc. As I said a few lines up highly appplicable and usable by libraries. An extension for New South Wales Libraries could be HSC Text Readers Wiki as a means of promoting cooperative discussion about texts, movies poems etc. One worth looking at a little deeper I think.

Local History and Genealogy are other areas where Wikis could easily be applied as part of the Library program and presence in the community. Then Local Studies/History would truly be opened to the world for comments, photos, gossip etc that may not have otherwise been available. Would Local Studies/History be a bigger and more living part of World Studies/History?

At a local Level I can see a Wiki with a title like:

Lane Cove - Local Studies.
The World Looking at Our Suburb.

But that is for another day.