Tricky Wiki?

The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know. 

Once again, I begin my blog with a statement about how little I understood about particular areas of the internet.  Today it is Wikis.  I actually had no idea that a wiki was a type of website.  I thought that Wiki was some random compilation of letters that they came up with to start "Wikipedia".  I have, of course, used Wikipedia, but thought that it was an anomaly.  A brilliant, but isolated example of collaborative efforts.  Once again, I was wrong.

Wikis are websites that multiple parties can contribute to or edit.  They are often centred around a topic and people will add things like articles, recipes, pictures and the like.  Wikis can have many more applications then just an encyclopedic use.  There are wikis for lovers of bacon, wikis based around travel tips, movie fan wikis  and professional wikis for businesses to collaborate and learn from each other. 

If you think you know a thing or two about nearly anything then you can probably find a wiki revolving around that topic.  But be prepared as there may be someone out there who knows more about that same subject and has the ability to edit your work.  For that reason know-it-alls and those who can't handle anyone else's opinion should stay away - you may find out that you aren't as smart as you thought!  For the rest of us, they are a great resource and due to the increased usage are becoming more and more reliable. 

Three of the wiki-building sites out there are Wikia, Wetpaint and PB works.  Wikia and Wetpaint are free and seems to have lots of smaller, fun and more personalized sites.  They are easy to navigate, interesting to browse and have great tips on building your own wiki (Wetpaint in particular).  PBworks is not nearly as much fun.... but is great for a professional, business-based wiki.  It is harder to browse and though it's basic wiki is free, there are fees if you want to do anything fancy.  It also has a much more professional looking template.

There is a place for them in libraries, though I'd say less so than some of the other online mediums discussed previously in this blog.  Specialty libraries like university, scientific or perhaps law libraries may have more use for them than the average public library since their patron base is more distinct and interested in many of the same topics.  They can have wikis where patrons can discuss or debate the topics concerning their discipline.  These wikis would also be a great soapbox for people rallying others around their cause.  High school libraries would probably get a lot of mileage out of a wiki.  With the amount of technology used by teenagers in particular they could be a viable option to get students involved with their library.  So take a minute to browse through the interesting world of wikis.  They might be right for you!

Squeeze a Little More

I have to admit, before starting this little project I had a very different view of RSS feeds.  I thought that they were a function that sent whole blogs to your blog reader.  I thought that the only way they saved time was in cutting out the search step.  My response to RSS feeds was, "I don't have time to do that much reading!".  I was wrong.  Am I the only one who misunderstood them? 

RSS feeds are an exerpt from a blog you are following that are sent to your RSS reader.  Instead of receiving the whole blog, you receive the title and a line or two that tells you what the rest of the blog expands on.  With this bit of info you can decide if it interests you and if you want to take the time to read further or skip it for now.  With that in mind I now realize that RSS feeds are a little more up my alley!  I have 3 kids, a big house that is constantly undergoing renovations (mostly undertaken by my husband or myself), hockey & tae kwondo, and all the not-so-fun mom stuff (laundry, cleaning - my husband helps with these - and cooking).  I've returned to school full time (more or less), I have a garden that I love to putter in and I actually try to socialize once in a while.  Who has time to sit and read blogs?!?!?  But with this new information under my belt, I may be able to squeeze in some fun, online reading once in a while.

I do have a few blogs that I like to follow, but I generally only read them if I happened to catch their link when it got posted to facebook.  Using this inefficient and sporadic method, I usually missed many blog posts.  That worked out fine for me since I usually would read the entire thing whether it interested me or not (I have a hard time stopping in the middle of something - I have to follow it through to the end).  If I had caught all of them I would have spent more time than I had reading!

RSS feeds are for the blog connoisseur who wants to be efficient with their time by streamlining their information portal.  If you don't read many blogs and have no interest in ever doing so, then it may not be for you.

Certain libraries can use this technology dependent on their patrons.  If your patrons are primarily seniors, young children or others who are not normally internet users, then you may not have need for an RSS feed.  But if you service youth, adults or work at a library that services a particular group of professionals (hospital or law libraries, academic libraries, etc.) there is a good chance that many of your patrons would find an RSS feed useful. 

• Public libraries can use them to notify patrons of community events like author visits, artistic displays and contests.  Specific programs like Children's Reading Groups, New Immigrant Literacy, Youth Activities and online Book Clubs would also benefit from the added exposure.  For  an example take a look at the New York Library System.  I would have loved to use the Winnipeg Public Library System, but alas, they do not provide RSS feeds (yet).
• Private libraries (like law, hospital or topic specific libraries) could also use RSS feeds.  They have a group of patrons who have a very specific area of interest and so the blogs would probably be relevant to a higher percentage of their users.  The National Transportation Library is a good example.
• Academic libraries (universities and colleges) have a pretty broad user base, but they would benefit from topic specific feeds.  New aquisitions and program updates could be included.  Just take a look at the University of Lethbridge; they have over 50 separate library blogs you can subscribe to!

RSS feeds definitly have a place in the online world, but given the growing popularity of alternate notification mediums like social networks, other options may want to be considered.  Facebook fan pages and Twitter can function in much the same way as a blog in that they notify users of a new post.  It really depends the mediums that your patrons actually use.  If someone does not already subscribe to RSS feeds it is doubtful that one new feed will persuade them to start.  Perhaps an online or verbal poll is in order.  I guess the main point is to know your patrons and meet them where they're at with what they need. 

I'm not sure if this little study has started me down the path of RSS, but now that I know the truth, I'm reconsidering.  Maybe I can squeeze a little more into my day after all.