Wikis

I think Wikis would work well for internal applications. I know that Christie used a Wiki for the Teen Reading game instructions. I think this would work well for the Children's Summer Program Instructions, too.

When we were discussing Wikis at a Youth Library Managers' meeting last fall, some libraries used Wikis to develop procedures for a variety of things.

I liked the idea of a Best Practices wiki, but the one we looked at was a few years old. It would seem like there are always a lot of good ideas out there, and for the purposes of determining "Best" Practices, shouldn't there be some sort of control of the type Wikis lack? Maybe the wiki should be named "Good Ideas" instead.

I thought the St. Joseph library adult reading club Wiki was another good use. I don't think it would work for a children's program without alternatives to publishing on a Wiki. Children who are still learning to write might find this too much of a chore to participate, otherwise. Though, it might encourage others, for the chance to be "published" and use the computer, the opportunity to practice their writing skill. I don't know how much other kids would be interested in reading the reviews of others, particularly if they are poorly written. (Sometimes it's a challenge making sense of children's writing when they are still learning, and I'm not talking penmanship, either.)

I added a restaurant to our ELL Wiki and it was very simple to use and I think my favorite use of Wikis had to be those communities having a Wiki of just this type of information. Restaurants, Things to See, Things to Do. I wonder, though, if a community or library hosts this type of Wiki for the public, what happens if someone posts something negative about a local business. Could a business take legal action if they perceived an impact on business?

I think some of the personal issues I've had with so many of these interactive technologies have to do with my own personal control issues. I never considered myself a control freak, but I think I'm discovering that I kinda am one.