Let’s All Wiki Wiki!

Creative Uses for Wikis in Any LibraryDebbie GinsbergJuly 9, 2006C-2

The Big Question: What’s a Wiki?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Let’s ask Ward Cunningham

• The simplest online database that could possibly work.

http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki

Why Don’t We Try Another Definition

• A server-based collaborative tool that allows any authorized user to edit Web pages and create new ones using nothing more than a Web browser and a text entry form on a Web page.

Brenda Chawner and Paul H. Lewis in “WikiWikiWebs: New Ways to Communicate in a Web Environment.” Information Technology and Libraries, March 2006.

What Do Wikis Do?

• Online social collaboration• Use internal and external hyperlinks

to form concepts and promote ideas• Easily edit or create new pages• Retain previous versions

Wiki Caveats: No Editor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Seigenthaler_Sr._Wikipedia_biography_controversy

Wiki Caveats: Spam

http://www.west-wind.com/wiki/wc.dll?wc~MetaRefresh

Wiki Example: WikiNews

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Main_Page

WikiNews: Article

WikiNews: Sources

WikiNews: Edits

WikiNews: Comparing Edits

WikiNews: Discussion

Researching with Wikis: General

http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Researching with Wikis: General

http://www.scgis.gov/?n=Main.HomePage

Researching with Wikis: Law

http://www.jurispedia.org/

Researching with Wikis: Law

http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Main_Page

Researching with Wikis: Wex

Researching with Wikis: Law

http://www.democracy.wiki-law.org/index.php?title=United_States

Researching with Wikis: Libraries

http://liswiki.org/wiki/Wikis

Wikis in Libraries: Resource Portals

http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/butler_wikiref

Wikis in Libraries: Resource Portals

Wikis in Libraries: Resource Portals

Wikis in Libraries: Instruction

Wikis in Libraries: Intranets

http://wiki.lib.uconn.edu/wiki/Main_Page

Wikis in Libraries: Intranets

Creating Wikis

• What kind of wiki?• Where will the wiki be hosted? • What application to use?• Who will control content?

Choosing a Wiki Application

http://www.wikimatrix.org/

Comparing Wiki Apps: Features

Comparing Wiki Apps: Syntax

Creating Wikis: Step by Step

• Considerations:– Where to host?– What to include?– How do these things work, anyway?

Choosing a Platform: MediaWiki

http://www.mediawiki.org

Choosing a Platform: PBWiki

http://www.pbwiki.com

Choosing a Platform: JotSpot

http://www.jot.com

Choosing a Platform: Edit This

http://www.editthis.info/wiki/Main_Page

Introducing LawLibWik

http://www.editthis.info/lawlibrary/Main_Page

Creating Wikis: Editing Pages

Creating Wikis: Saving Changes

Creating Wikis: The WYSIWYG Editor

Insert Internal

Link

Insert External

Link

Insert Level 2 Heading

Ignore Wiki

Formatting

Creating Wikis: Adding New Pages

Double Bracket for

Internal Link

Creating Wikis: Linking

Single Bracket for External Link

Creating Wikis: Categories

Double Bracket plus “Category:” to create

a new category

Creating Wikis: Categories

Red Link means the page has no content

Creating Wikis: Discussions

Creating Wikis: Tracking Edits

Other Applications: PBWiki

Other Applications: JotSpot

Let’s All Wiki Wiki

• Let’s create a Law Librarian Wiki• Teach research skills to new

librarians• Share knowledge learned from

listservs, email, blogs• Discuss issues of importance to us