Wikis: Enabling Collaboration in Libraries Meredith Farkas May 4, 2007 Quebec Library Association

What you will learn What a wiki is What wikis are good for, what they’re not so good for How libraries are successfully using wikis Tips on developing a successful wiki

What a wiki is

What wikis are good for, what they’re not so good for

How libraries are successfully using wikis

Tips on developing a successful wiki

What is a wiki? Allows people to collaboratively develop a Web site without any tech-savvy (no HTML required!) Like a content management system Wiki = quick (in Hawaiian) All community members can add to or edit the work of others

Allows people to collaboratively develop a Web site without any tech-savvy (no HTML required!)

Like a content management system

Wiki = quick (in Hawaiian)

All community members can add to or edit the work of others

Wiki background Ward Cunningham and the Portland Pattern Repository Wikipedia Conference wikis, fan wikis, wiki knowledgebases

Ward Cunningham and the Portland Pattern Repository

Wikipedia

Conference wikis, fan wikis, wiki knowledgebases

Wiki Structure All wikis start off as a single blank page Pages are created and connected by hyperlinks No ownership of pages; anyone can change the work of others

All wikis start off as a single blank page

Pages are created and connected by hyperlinks

No ownership of pages; anyone can change the work of others

Wiki components

Discussion area for each page

All changes made to the page

List of changes made to all pages

Wiki Syntax Ways to format text, change color, create links, create tables, etc. Not difficult to learn, but different Differences for each wiki WYSIWYG is the future

Ways to format text, change color, create links, create tables, etc.

Not difficult to learn, but different

Differences for each wiki

WYSIWYG is the future

Wikis vs. Blogs No one owns content No specific organization (hyperlinks) Anyone can edit other people’s work A person owns their post Organized in reverse chron. order Only author can edit their own work (others can comment)

No one owns content

No specific organization (hyperlinks)

Anyone can edit other people’s work

A person owns their post

Organized in reverse chron. order

Only author can edit their own work (others can comment)

Wikis vs. Blogs Perpetual work in progress Good for collaborative group work Posts are permanent Good for disseminating info/starting a dialogue

Perpetual work in progress

Good for collaborative group work

Posts are permanent

Good for disseminating info/starting a dialogue

Why wiki? Easy to use Web-based Anyone can make changes Findability Many free and open-source wikis Flexible and extensible

Easy to use

Web-based

Anyone can make changes

Findability

Many free and open-source wikis

Flexible and extensible

Why not wiki? Too open (trust issues) Concerns about ownership of content Disorganized Vandalism and spam

Too open (trust issues)

Concerns about ownership of content

Disorganized

Vandalism and spam

Wikis in Practice

How libraries can use wikis with their patrons Community wiki Subject guide wiki Wiki as courseware Wiki as Web site

Community wiki

Subject guide wiki

Wiki as courseware

Wiki as Web site

Community wiki http://daviswiki.org/

Subject guide wiki http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/

Wiki as courseware http://biro.bemidjistate.edu/~morgan/e-rhetoric/wiki.php

Wiki as Web site http://library.usca.edu/Main/HomePage

How librarians can use wikis Staff Intranet Collaborative document editing Collaboratively-developed manual Guidebook Knowledgebase Planning space for conferences

Staff Intranet

Collaborative document editing

Collaboratively-developed manual

Guidebook

Knowledgebase

Planning space for conferences

Staff Intranet

Collaborative document editing http://www.zohowriter.com/

Collaboratively-developed manual http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/ antioch_university_new_england_library_staff_training_and_support_wiki/

Guidebook http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wiki/

Knowledgebase http://www.libsuccess.org/

Planning space for conferences

Wiki Tips How to develop and maintain a successful wiki

Wiki Tips: Software Do you want your wiki hosted? Wiki Farms Easier if you don’t have a server or don’t know what you’re doing Examples: PBWiki , WetPaint , WikiSpaces Do you want to install the software on your own server? More software options this way More control Maintenance burden is on you Examples: MediaWiki , PmWiki , Twiki

Do you want your wiki hosted?

Wiki Farms

Easier if you don’t have a server or don’t know what you’re doing

Examples: PBWiki , WetPaint , WikiSpaces

Do you want to install the software on your own server?

More software options this way

More control

Maintenance burden is on you

Examples: MediaWiki , PmWiki , Twiki

Things to consider Programming language Ease of installation Security Permissioning Spam prevention Ease of use Cost

Programming language

Ease of installation

Security

Permissioning

Spam prevention

Ease of use

Cost

Things to consider (cont’d) Syntax Version control Ability to hold discussions RSS Ability to change look For help choosing software, check out the Wiki Matrix ( http:// www.wikimatrix.org / ).

Syntax

Version control

Ability to hold discussions

RSS

Ability to change look

For help choosing software, check out the Wiki Matrix ( http:// www.wikimatrix.org / ).

Wiki management Seeding the wiki Documentation Policies Marketing Dealing with spam

Seeding the wiki

Documentation

Policies

Marketing

Dealing with spam

Questions? Just ask! E-mail me: [email_address] AIM me: librarianmer Visit presentation site: http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com

Just ask!

E-mail me: [email_address]

AIM me: librarianmer

Visit presentation site: http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com