Week 6: Wikis

  This week's case studies demonstrate many potential uses for wikis and the diverse ways in which they can be implemented. Of the case studies this week, I was most impressed by those that greeted users with a functional main page. Wikis like Biz Wiki, SJCPL Subject Guides, BookLoversWiki, and Wyoming Authors Wiki include features such as a clear indication of purpose, a definition of a wiki, instructions on how best to use the wiki, and indexes or categories to make the content more accessible. The main pages of these sites were quite welcoming with at least a moderately attractive site design and layouts that arranged the components of the site clearly and indicated navigational elements. I appreciated the clean design and categories of Biz Wiki, but since this site is targeted to a specific purpose / user group and is more locked down, it is likely easier to keep control of its content.  

Given the choice, I would be far more likely to frequent a wiki with an attractive site design that organizes its content in a way that I can easily absorb. While it's great that wikis encourage collaboration through ease-of-use, libraries need to present a professional appearance to the community and give real thought to the intended purpose and extend the functionality of their wikis. A wiki is more effective the larger its base of participants and libraries need to do all they can to attract community participation, such as through a solid wiki design. In addition to improving the usability of the wiki, this shows that the library is behind the service and also adds credibility to the wiki's content.  

As the community observes their library's wiki, they may not always understand the nature of a wiki and be unforgiving of inappropriate or incorrect content (before it can be removed). They might believe that the library is behind the offending information, or that they were careless in managing the site, and many likely skimmed over any disclaimers. Of course, if no one notices mistakes then it might be time to embark on an extensive marketing campaign to attract wiki participants. Wikis are an invaluable tool for creating online community meeting and discussion places through the library, but they can only work if patrons can be encouraged to join in and share their knowledge.