Thing 16
I browsed through the wikis on Friday and now it's Monday, but I think I can recall enough to formulate some enlightened observations on Wikis and their World. I used wikis for a long time without really understanding what they were. What I did understand, however, is that I should have felt ashamed about using Wikipedia as an occasional reference. I get some good information from Wikipedia, though, don't you? I don't plan to write my master's thesis using Wikipeida as my sole reference, but if I'm looking for some info I'm pretty sure I'll find something good there. Typically I end up finding something else to spark my interest and then I'm off and linking away. A linkfest, so to speak. But, I digress.
People everywhere are a wealth of information--information they store in their heads. Wikis are a perfect resource for sharing and disseminating that info until that inevitable abuse happens. There are methods in place to counteract this abuse within wiki communities (which seem to be, in some ways, stronger than many of the communities that we live in) . Wikis allow everyone to take part in information sharing and are a perfect example of what this whole Web 2.0 thing is about.
There are a couple of ways to use wikis in libraries that would be handy. First, the idea of annotating the catalog via patron input is a great one. I frequently refer to amazon.com to see what people are saying about the books they're reading, and I think our patrons would appreciate the same service with that friendly hometown touch.Second, a subject guide with links for staff might be very handy. I've been introduced to good websites by my co-workers. Not the least of which is Stuff On My Cat.
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