Wiki Wiki What?

The Wiki is one of the tools that I think could have the best application to a library setting if it was used properly. The Wiki is based on information sharing, which strangely enough fits right in with the idea of a library very well.

As a techie I always end up looking at a Wiki for some strange piece of hacked together software to make a gadget work a little better, do something its not entirely designed for, or just have fun with blinking lights. The ability to document changes, trials and errors makes a huge difference to someone that is trying to repeat something that's already been done, or simply allow followers to see what really happens.

The internet has pushed speed and efficiency to the vast majority of people, making information on just about any subject instantaneous. Libraries usually get up in arms over documentation, feeling that a Wiki doesn't source credible information and is therefor useless in the eyes of someone seeking "real" information. I disagree. I think that the real information comes from people that are actually out there running the tests and creating the errors and knowing what happens. A Wiki simply puts everything in one place. It makes it easy to follow without being overrun with who did what and why. It gives you the facts and allows you to decide for yourself if you accept them based on the information presented.

A fictional author is still an author, so while it may not present the most factual information, there is usually something to be learned even if it doesn't have the most real world applications.

Where would I use a Wiki system in a library? I would definitely consider book discussions first. It would allow users to come together and present the facts, the fiction and the impressions and feelings so that everyone could comment, edit, and collaborate to create some very interesting book reviews. Another area could be a revised technical resource, where common information is constantly updated with fixes and information from the entire system, instead of the knowledge of one branch as a single entity.

The possibilities are really pretty endless with a Wiki, so there are lots of other options.