So What's in a Wiki?

I have used Wikipedia many times. I knew that basically anyone can add or edit information to it, but I never really understood exactly what it was until now.

A wiki really is a tremendous tool for planning and sharing information. I took some time today to explore a few library related wikis. One thing I really like about wikis (at least the ones that I have seen) are all pretty similar. That is very user friendly, particularly to someone who may have a "fear of technology". For a comparison, let me use an illustration with Target. One thing I really like about Target stores are that most of them are set up identically. This make it very nice for a mother of 2 children (me!) to run in, pick up a couple of items, then run out. I must admit, when I visit one of the few Target stores that is set up differently, it throws me for a loop and has me vowing never to return again. Going back to wikis, since they are set up virutally the same, I believe many more people would feel comfortable using them...no one has to learn a new set of rules for each one.

I think the use of a wiki within a libary environment is a great idea. It would keep the staff and patrons on the same page. No ideas would be lost in the shuffle of e-mail, post-it notes, etc.

One thing to remember, however, is that anyone can alter a wiki. The information may not always be 100% reliable or accurate. It is important to investigate how credible the site is before anyone takes the information read to heart. For this reason, I like how several library wikis that I visited don't let just anyone make changes or updates.