Thing 15

When? September 2005. Where? Library Expo. Who? Walter Betts. His presentation on wikis and RSS feeds was my initial introduction to the changing world of Library 2.0. Wikis sounded pretty questionable to me. I don't know many teachers who aren't mild to serious control freaks when it comes to their facts ( course content). How could it possibly work to have those facts out there for all to see and to change at will? Civilization as we know it is over!!! That might have been my first impression but as I've learned about wikis, I see their value and potential. And once I read that a scientific study had compared the number of factual errors in Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia and found minimal difference, I began to think differently about wikis. I have found my inner-wiki and I embrace it. In reading about wikis, one thing that really hit home is that the creation of the web no longer belongs to only the techno-savvy but to all the people...people without html skills. The uses of a wiki seem endless. It can be used in a city for people to recommend goods and services; librarians can use them to recommend books; teachers can use them to post course content with greater student involvement. Wikis allow immediate response and interaction. I know the potential for evil is great but if wikis require identification of genuine e-mail addresses, I hope the potential is lessened. As I looked at the various wikis, I can see where families who are separated by lack of time or distance could keep in touch with a wiki. Librarians can use wikis for their book clubs. As I've mentioned previously, the pathfinders that once thrilled me....now, not so much. I agree with Joyce Valenza in her 10 Reasons Why Your Next Pathfinder Should Be a Wiki. That interests me a great deal. It is something I would like to attempt. Instead of using a static web page to disburse information, libraries can use a dynamic wiki which invites the participation of their public. It would be genuine collaboration if teachers could use their expertise and great knowledge of their subject to polish and improve a "pathfinder-wiki." How nice if students could add their own suggestions to online book recommendations. I think it would be fun for students to review books informally through the wiki format. This spring, we're using a wiki for a book study that's been organized by one of our English teachers. It should be fun. But I'll let you know how it goes.