This document introduces Clicklaw Wikibooks, a wiki platform for collaboratively creating legal information books. It allows numerous legal experts and organizations to jointly edit and publish materials that can be accessed online or in multiple formats like PDF and EPUB. Clicklaw Wikibooks aims to make plain language legal information more findable, up-to-date and accessible for British Columbians. Over 30 legal professionals currently use it to maintain publications, with the most popular receiving over 14,000 monthly views. The platform continues expanding to include more titles, languages and customization options to serve the public.

1. Introduction to
Clicklaw Wikibooks
http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca
October 1, 2014
Brenda Rose
Nate Russell
Presentation for

2. 1. What is a Wiki? What are Wikibooks?
2. Benefits of Clicklaw Wikibooks
3. Clicklaw Wikibooks Possibilities & Opportunities

3. What is a Wiki?
• Wiki means "quick" in Hawaiian—edits to a Wiki are fast
to make.
• A Wiki website lets numerous people collaborate together
and edit it.
• Wikipedia is a popular example of a wiki—a collaborative
encyclopedia.
• Wikis are not just encyclopedias—they’re used for
conference websites, intranets, educational tools, PLEI,
etc.
• Wikis don’t have to be a free-for-all. You can control who
edits and gets accounts.

4. What is a Wikibook?
• Wikibooks are when a Wiki platform is put to use to create printed
books and content in other formats.
• Wikibooks support offline printing and reading options—get that
content off of a website!
o PDF
o EPUB
o “print-on-demand”
• Visitors can mix & match Wikibook chapters and titles—extract
what’s useful to them and leave the rest.

5. Benefits of Clicklaw Wikibooks
• wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca — built with PLEI and lawyer authors & reviewers
in mind.
• Invite-only means a close, well-supported community of authors &
reviewers.
• Multiple format support (PDF, EPUB, “print-on-demand”).
• Easy keyword-searching.
• Google indexes the content (i.e. more visible on the web).
• Creative commons to encourage public use and re-use.
• Expand and amplify the reach of your PLEI materials.
• Help public libraries collect PLEI materials.

6. Benefits of Clicklaw Wikibooks (continued)
• Content stays updated & available—even without a printing budget.
• Clients read & print for free, and order booklets for a small cost.
• Clicklaw banner name associates verified and reliable legal
content—all in one place.
• The Learn & Teach series—develop curriculum for teachers.
• Accessibility for site impaired or low literacy—text-to-speech works
well with EPUBs.
• Clicklaw Wikibooks bridges:
o lawyers (legal expertise),
o PLEI organizations (content experts with plain language and
domain expertise), and
o audiences (self-represented litigants, community advocates,
social workers, family members, librarians, etc.)

7. Clicklaw Wikibooks: Solving Challenges
• Legal Help for British Columbians guide
needed updating.
• Without institutional support, it was at risk (the
guide was published by a lawyer more or less
on his own).
• Courthouse Libraries BC put a PDF online, but
it was not very findable or usable online—at
75 pages, not easily searchable, external links
not practical.
• Yet the print was highly valued in library
settings where computer literacy can be a
major issue.

8. Using the wiki platform
to put the Guide online
opened up access to it

9. As a Wikibook, the
Guide includes
external links to key
resources
It’s integrated with the
Clicklaw HelpMap, to
provide easy access to
options for legal
assistance

10. The Wiki can be
updated collaboratively
over the Internet by
multiple contributors

11. Strong version comparison
tools support collaboration,
transparency — see who
made an edit, and undo
wrong ones.

12. Clicklaw Wikibooks: Example
• 30+ lawyer and judge editors
using wiki tools.
• 1000+ pages of family law help
materials.
• Published conventionally in
small run and available print-on-demand.
• Over 14,000 unique views
monthly

13. Clicklaw Wikibooks Origins
• Courthouse Libraries BC hosts Clicklaw
Wikibooks as part of its mandate to
engage the legal community and help
the public.
• The Clicklaw website aggregates plain
language legal information from over 25
contributor organizations and integrates
Wikibooks.
• LawMatters is a program to help public
libraries provide current legal
information.

14. Clicklaw Wikibooks Possibilities & Opportunities
• A single window into PLEI
• Dozens titles from numerous BC PLEI organizations in
BC (Peoples Law School, TRAC, BC CEAS and
Courthouse Libraries BC.
• 17 titles and counting.
• Over 22,500 sessions monthly.
• Support from BC lawyers and judges.

15. Clicklaw Wikibooks — Future Possibilities
• Multiple language portals.
• More Learn & Teach features and tools.
• Better customization for:
o Print-on-demand: custom cover options, better
table of contents and index, custom disclaimer
page, etc.
o EPUB and PDF: cover image customization and
more descriptive metadata.

16. Clicklaw Wikibooks
A growing group of PLEI collaborators