Week 7: Wikis

Spent most of yesterday lost in Wikipedia, so much to read, and so many little snippets of information that might be handy at some stage! you can just go on and on for hours. Web2.0 is taking me on a great adventure, there is just so much out there to discover.
Have looked at several library wikis - some good, some not so good.
The Bull Run Library was current and informative, lots of information and links to other activities and sites.
I spent some time looking at the Grand Rapids Michigan GRPLpedia site. I am interested because my son is going there for 6 months later in the year. The site only has links on the first page, no other real information. I find this a little bit offputing, I would prefer to have some info right there, rather than having to go and search for it. I think that in this day and age people want to be able to access information quickly and if they open a page with only links on it they might not go any further.
The Wagga Wagga City library has an excellent site, lots of information and well set out. There is an invitation to join the library and become a cyber-member. There are wikis for:
The Book Club
History of Wagga Wagga
Memories of Wagga Wagga
Local Radio
Guy Lit Wire (for teenage boys)
Baby Bounce (infant program)

Wikis in libraries play a great role in encouraging library patrons to become involved in their libraries. They make it easy for anyone to not only access information, but also to add information, great for book clubs, FAQ's or technology advice.
Wikis can also play a role in communication between staff, particularly in the case of regional staff working on joint projects.

It is important to update wikis often to keep the readers interested, "leaving a blog or wiki untouched for days raises questions about its importance to the organisation. Content is the key to appeal so making it fresh and inviting is essential." (Watson, K. and Harper, C. 2006)

Reference

Watson, K. & Harper, C. (2006, December). Using blogs and wikis to communicate with library clients. inCite 27(12)