Week 7 - Thing 16 - Wikis

When I heard the term wikis all I could think of is the Wikilepedia which I though was full of misinformation and random thoughts. But after reading some articles on wikis I could definitely see the benefits for libraries. Libraries could use wikis (meaning quick) to have customers write book reviews, give information on community history, restaurants and plus other items. ALA 2006 New Orleans and the Bull Run Library used their communities to tap into a wealth of information for others to use. There are other benefits for libraries including group projects, and quick information sharing, one can add or delete information thus speeding up the completion of work. There are some negative aspects though - one must be alert to negative input, misinformation and the management of wikis (who is in control). All in all wikis do have a potential for providing a portal for people to share their knowledge and ideas.