Wikis and Libraries: A Winning Combination Darlene Fichter University of Saskatchewan April

Darlene Fichter Photo by: rolobeetle Some rights reserved.rolobeetle

Overview  Collaboration & communication  Wikis –How do they work –What are some of the benefits –Blogs and wikis, what to use when

Questions  What is your primary role at your organization?  Reference/Instructional Librarian  Library ITS (web developer, systems librarian)  Library manager  Collections or Cataloguing or Digital Projects  Other  Are you interested in using wikis for:  Subject pages  Internal project or team work  Documentation  Personal web publishing  Conference  Intranet  Don’t know  Do you contribute to a wiki?  Does your organization use:  Blogs  Wikis  RSS feeds

Poll: Committees and Teams  How many groups do you belong to?  None  one to two  three to five  More than 5  How do you share information? – –Mailing list –Shared file server –BBS –IM  What are some of the limitations?

What if …  Reduce overload  Have an archive of the work done to date  Build a knowledge base auto-magically  Have an easy way to write reports, documents, policies, and procedures together

Technologies Enabling Online Collaboration  Dozens: –Discussion forums – –Instant messaging –Newsgroups –Webcasts –Web conferencing – Weblogs –Team rooms –Text messaging/wireless – RSS – Wiki –Expertise location –FOAF

What is a “Wiki”?  Web application invented by Ward Cunningham in 1994 that allows anyone to add content and anyone to edit it. “It’s a tool for collaboration, really, we don’t know quite what it is but it’s a fun way of communicating asynchronously across the network”.  Wiki means “quick” in Hawaiian

Wiki Characteristics  Intended to be simple so you can focus on the writing, not the mechanics and syntax  No HTML know-how required

Wikis: Collections of Pages Main Page Contact UsElectronic Virtual edit  Wiki pages look like web pages  Anyone with a web browser can read a wiki site Illustrations adapted from Guillaume du Gardier. What is a wiki? June 2, 2005

Click, Write and Save edit save...KMWorld 2005 …KMWorld 2005  Anyone with a web browser can edit a wiki site  Anyone can undo any change at any time

 Make a new page by typing the name in CamelCase, aka WikiName Creating New Pages Title … NewName … edit NewName  Click on any WikiName to see pages that link to it

Wiki Design Principles  Openness and trust –if a page is incomplete or inaccurate anyone can edit it  Incremental –pages can cite other pages, even those not yet written  Observable –you can see the changes being made  Organic –site structure is up to everyone, and it will evolve and change  More principles… Wiki Design Principles Openness and Trust

Wiki Examples: Wikipedia

Wikipedia: Recent Changes

Time Lapse – London Bombing

Wikipedia: Viewing History

Wikipedia: Talk Page

Wiki Gardeners  Person who goes around tidying up the wiki, pruning, editing, organizing, and cleaning up  Usually liked and respected On a library wiki, you might want to assign this role.

Wikis: Professional Knowledge Repositories

Wikis: Conference

Library Web Site: Wiki Subject Guide

SCJPL: Subject Guides

SCJPL: Subject Guides

SCJPL: Discussion Pages

Coralville Public Library: Let’s Write!

Library Web Site Built With a Wiki

Tour: Library Wikis  Internal uses –Staff Intranet –Projects –Event planning –IT documentation –Helpdesk

Library Intranet

Library Intranet

Library Information Technology Services Wiki

Project/Committee

Internal Wikis in Libraries  Collaborative writing (projects, teams developing procedures, policies, plans)  Meeting notes and reports  Shared knowledge repository

Simple Case Study: Event Planning Hosted Wiki: Jotspot

WYSIWYG Editor

What Pages Have Changed?

See What Changed

Single Page or Side by Side

Wiki (Jotspot) Anatomy: Features Attach a File Import Word s Send an Make a comment Invite users Changes via RSS Search

Event Planning and Support (Password protected)

Wiki Reactions  Well, I wasn't sure about that wiki (sounded like something from Star Wars), but I decided to try it out. It is fabulous! Every conference should have one. Gail Curry, UNBC

Conference / Wiki Support  Participants signed up for wifi, dine-arounds, connected with each other before the event  Shared notes during the presentation and uploaded slides  Evaluated the workshop

Wiki Roadmap*  Install wiki software on web server  Plan rollout and content  Build the initial structure  Populate initial content with early adopters  Initial rollout with smaller group  Train and coach users  Do not underestimate inertia and time *Peter Theony, Wiki Based Collaboration  Build the initial structure

Practical Tips  Have a champion –New way of “thinking”, paradigm shift from Intranet, webmaster or CMS (content management system)  Choose the right features: –Attach files –Access control –Version control –Ease of use: make sure “add a page” is self evident –Match look and feel –Alert and post via to wiki

Tools to Help You Choose  Wiki Matrix –  Emma Tonkin’s charts in –Making the Case for a Wiki. Ariadne, January

Weblogs and Wikis Face Off Photo Credit: Pascal Vuylsteker CC Attribution 2.5Pascal Vuylsteker

WikisWeblogs  Group voice  Unstructured, organic  Anyone edits  Fluid medium: change any time  Better management: versions, rollback and change log, syndicate changes  Less familiar  Individual voice  Default is by date, reverse chronological  Anyone comments  Post medium like (comment, reply, comment, …)  Edits aren’t tracked usually, new items are syndicated  More familiar

Wiki Brainstorm Think about collaborative/team activities in your organization and library. Identify 2 or 3 areas where a wiki web would help with collaboration. Identify the “biggest obstacles” and how you might overcome them.

Wiki Summary  Wikis help support collaboration  Tools are simple, quick and inexpensive  They belong in our collaboration toolbox  Our workplaces are diverse –Diverse users –Diverse needs –Diverse software choices

More Resources  Wiki Bibliography & Links –

Questions