Multi Institutional Medical Library Wiki: Barriers and Solutions 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

IT Department Barriers Linking Old Intranet library sites need to be removed Links to wiki needed to be added on institutional Intranet Location/hierarchy of link within Intranet was important Security Inconsistent security policies across the Institution Some hospitals and libraries could access the wiki, some could not. Some librarians could edit, some could not Links to resources listed on the wiki worked at some hospitals and not at others. If users typed in the resource link directly they could get to the resource, yet they couldn’t get to the resource through the wiki Personnel Finding the proper IT person with the authority to fix or make changes was time consuming and difficult in large institution 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Linking

Old Intranet library sites need to be removed

Links to wiki needed to be added on institutional Intranet

Location/hierarchy of link within Intranet was important

Security

Inconsistent security policies across the Institution

Some hospitals and libraries could access the wiki, some could not.

Some librarians could edit, some could not

Links to resources listed on the wiki worked at some hospitals and not at others.

If users typed in the resource link directly they could get to the resource, yet they couldn’t get to the resource through the wiki

Personnel

Finding the proper IT person with the authority to fix or make changes was time consuming and difficult in large institution

Solutions to IT Barriers Linking Timing was critical and mostly likely one key to success Institution had decided to do a complete Intranet redesign. So deleting old pages not a problem. Intranet design committee very open to linking to the wiki and to the location of the link within the Intranet Security Each hospital had different computer security procedures and settings The wiki had to be added as a “trusted site within the institutional firewall settings in order to be viewed or refer users to other resources. Personnel It required many emails and phone calls over the course of several months to find or be referred to the proper people for each issue that arose. 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Linking

Timing was critical and mostly likely one key to success

Institution had decided to do a complete Intranet redesign. So deleting old pages not a problem.

Intranet design committee very open to linking to the wiki and to the location of the link within the Intranet

Security

Each hospital had different computer security procedures and settings

The wiki had to be added as a “trusted site within the institutional firewall settings in order to be viewed or refer users to other resources.

Personnel

It required many emails and phone calls over the course of several months to find or be referred to the proper people for each issue that arose.

Library Staff Barriers Unfamiliarity Many of the library staff were unfamiliar with wikis or their possible uses. Many of the library staff were unfamiliar with editing pages online where changes are live. Wary of hosting with outside company Concerns about “who is” Wetpaint were asked Security, back ups, reliability Extra work Library staff worried about how much time the wiki would take Create, update, maintain 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Unfamiliarity

Many of the library staff were unfamiliar with wikis or their possible uses.

Many of the library staff were unfamiliar with editing pages online where changes are live.

Wary of hosting with outside company

Concerns about “who is” Wetpaint were asked

Security, back ups, reliability

Extra work

Library staff worried about how much time the wiki would take

Create, update, maintain

Solutions to Library Staff Barriers Unfamiliarity Conducted a brief show and tell demonstrating various wikis and their uses. Created a wiki editing help guide for library staff Could not find a short online document or PDFs on how to create or edit a wiki page. Many great online video tutorials but those are blocked Wary of hosting with outside company Found background information on the company Addressed concerns and issues about company and addressed concerns should “go away.” Extra work Created the original library page template and added information from previous Intranet pages Created the wiki help guide Offered “walk” people through the editing process Agreed to edit and update pages for some librarians 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Unfamiliarity

Conducted a brief show and tell demonstrating various wikis and their uses.

Created a wiki editing help guide for library staff

Could not find a short online document or PDFs on how to create or edit a wiki page.

Many great online video tutorials but those are blocked

Wary of hosting with outside company

Found background information on the company

Addressed concerns and issues about company and addressed concerns should “go away.”

Extra work

Created the original library page template and added information from previous Intranet pages

Created the wiki help guide

Offered “walk” people through the editing process

Agreed to edit and update pages for some librarians

Patron Barriers Unfamiliarity Most patrons were unfamiliar with wikis Location Many patrons couldn’t find the wiki from on or off campus Off campus access Because the wiki was available off campus, patrons assumed all linked resources were available off campus too 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Unfamiliarity

Most patrons were unfamiliar with wikis

Location

Many patrons couldn’t find the wiki from on or off campus

Off campus access

Because the wiki was available off campus, patrons assumed all linked resources were available off campus too

Solutions to Patron Barriers Unfamiliarity Stopped calling it a wiki, instead called it the library website Location Worked with IT on the placement of the access links within the Intranet. Created flyers with the URL to distribute to staff as off campus reminders Off campus access Added library specific information regarding off and on campus access to resources. Certain hospitals have off campus access using a proxy server or Athens while other libraries distributed resource specific passwords. Communicating access policies is key. 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Unfamiliarity

Stopped calling it a wiki, instead called it the library website

Location

Worked with IT on the placement of the access links within the Intranet.

Created flyers with the URL to distribute to staff as off campus reminders

Off campus access

Added library specific information regarding off and on campus access to resources.

Certain hospitals have off campus access using a proxy server or Athens while other libraries distributed resource specific passwords.

Communicating access policies is key.

Wetpaint Software Barriers Advertisements Free Wetpaint accounts have lots of advertisements Limited Customization Unable edit HTML Certain features like adding the catalog’s search box to the page was impossible Could not do much to change the overall design of the site Unable to turn off unwanted or unused features The discussion thread could not be turned off. To-Dos tab could not be removed 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Advertisements

Free Wetpaint accounts have lots of advertisements

Limited Customization

Unable edit HTML

Certain features like adding the catalog’s search box to the page was impossible

Could not do much to change the overall design of the site

Unable to turn off unwanted or unused features

The discussion thread could not be turned off.

To-Dos tab could not be removed

Solutions to Wetpaint Software Barriers Advertisements Contacted Wetpaint to get the advertisement free version for education Limited Customization Designed simpler pages to work on the site. Provided links to the online catalog and the A-Z. Explained to patrons certain features like the discussion thread were not actively maintained 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Advertisements

Contacted Wetpaint to get the advertisement free version for education

Limited Customization

Designed simpler pages to work on the site.

Provided links to the online catalog and the A-Z.

Explained to patrons certain features like the discussion thread were not actively maintained

Overall Thoughts Would like a wiki software that provides a little more customization, not everybody is an editor and some of Wetpaint’s tabs and options can confuse visitors. The design and adding data to the library pages took the least amount of work. 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Would like a wiki software that provides a little more customization, not everybody is an editor and some of Wetpaint’s tabs and options can confuse visitors.

The design and adding data to the library pages took the least amount of work.

Overall Thoughts Working with IT and library staff took the most amount of work and required lots of communication. Would like to standardize off campus access to resources across the system to make the wiki a true library Internet site. 2009 Michelle Kraft MLS, AHIP Cleveland Clinic Alumni Library

Working with IT and library staff took the most amount of work and required lots of communication.

Would like to standardize off campus access to resources across the system to make the wiki a true library Internet site.