Week 7 Thing 16: Wikis

Browsing through the world of library wikis, it immediately becomes apparent that wikis can and will change how catalogues are made available to the public. Most of the wikis we were asked to look at as a part of Thing #16 functioned primarily as pathfinders, user-friendly guides which, like a library catalogue leads to physical information resources, guide the user to sites or catalogue entries carrying more detailed information. As long as a significant portion of information on the internet remains free to access, and/or libraries are willing to pay to access charging sites, it seems obvious that this is the way to best assist patrons in using both our catalogues and the informational resources of others. The patron won’t have to understand any form of complex cataloguing to find an item, but at the same time more complex informational taxonomy can be sustained.
What really makes the wiki is, of course, participation by many well-informed users. As more and more librarians and library workers come to participate in the creation of content, I think the patrons will be more and more easily able to find and access the materials that they need in a timely fashion. I have great hope that local libraries will be able to keep extremely current listings of local services and events once we find ways to allow members of the public to join in the effort as well. Comprehensiveness is impossible if significant enough numbers don’t assist in content creation, however.
I found the guide to books only minimally useful, with so few entries in the genres I was in the mood to read. All of the entries were books I’m already familiar with, and I was disappointed in my hopes to find suggestions on good books to read. If enough people joined the wiki, though, it could become a valuable resource for me.
I have no idea what percentage of the population wants access to content creation in information services, but if it is high enough, the possibilities for information sharing are phenomenal, and staggering. I definitely want to be a part of that, and I am grateful that this program has gotten me motivated enough to get involved in wiki development. My husband and I have created a wiki for our family, and are already using it to share lists and work on joint writing projects. (Not to mention the silly picture war we have going on the front page. Hee.)