emerging technologies and wikis for libraries
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Emerging Technologies and Library Wikis
Your Guide to Building a Wiki for Reference Services
Carissa Tomlinson, MLISMarch 28, 2008
What Does “Emerging Technologies” Really Mean?
• Specific to library and information science, emerging technologies refers to any new technology that can help support user services, instruction, library management, and technical services.
• Currently often used interchangeably with Web 2.0, but is a much broader term.
• Important that we think outside of the Web 2.0 concepts and keep our eyes open for the next things on the horizon.
• Web 3.0 already in “beta”
Key Emerging Technologies
• As Identified by the Horizon Report– Grassroots videos
• Utilizing video sharing such as YouTube
– Collaboration webs• Such as wikis integrated with other social
technologies
– Mobile broadband• Content aimed at mobile access to Internet
– Data mashups• Hybridization of multiple technologies
– Collective intelligence• Social bookmarking, wikipedia, etc.
– Social operating systems• Systems set up to interpret and predict what
information users will need/ want based on relationships. Yahoo Life! Example (web 2.5 concept)
Additional Emerging Technologies
• Blogs• Instant Messaging• Social Networking Tools• Wikis• Web-based collaborative software
– Microsoft Office-like Software– Web Conferencing Software– Bibliographic Management Software
• Folksonomy (tags)• RSS technology/Podcasts/Vidcast• Screen Capture Technology
– Camtasia– Captivate– Freeware
Web 3.0
• Semantic Web - computer can understand meaning behind words in order to predict what users will do with the information or need next– An email with a date in it will
automatically load onto an online calendar
Trends in Current Emerging Technologies
• Collaboration• Communication• Creativity• Predictability• Accessibility
But…always something new around thecorner which could be better or worse to support the library, so…
New Emerging Technologies
• We must be constantly evaluating our services– Everything is always in “Beta”
• We must encourage constant and purposeful change
• We must be always be on the look out for new technology that can improve our services
Wikis for Academic Libraries
• A particularly useful emerging technology is the wiki
• Collaboratively develop a website with other librarians or faculty
• Easy interaction between developers and users
• Hawaiian for quick– Also easy!– Usually no need to know HTML or FTP programs
• Great tool for many different library applications
Wiki Basics
• Wikis start off as a single blank page• Pages are created and connected by
hyperlinks like webpages• Determine who can edit the wiki easily• Discussion areas generally included
on each page• Depending on wiki- WYSIWYG or wiki
editing (easy, but different than HTML)
Wiki Uses- Basic Library Information
Wiki Uses- Staff Training
Wiki Uses- Staff Training
Wiki Uses- Collaborative Document Editing
• Instead of emailing documents back and forth creating many duplicates, use a wiki and collaboratively edit one document located in a centralized place
• Could be used externally with student or faculty collaboration or could be used for internal project/ paper collaboration
Wiki Uses- Staff Intranet
Wiki Uses- Subject Guides
Wiki Uses- Liaison Site
Wikis- Things to Consider
• Wikis can be either hosted on the library or university server or can be hosted by “wiki farms” online.
Things to Consider- Library Server Wikis
• Pros• Much more control
over content• Can be easier to
manipulate for specific purposes– Design– Access / Security
• No ads
• Cons• Requires server
access• Implementation
requires additional technological expertise
• Does not always use easy WSYWIG editing
Things to Consider- Web Hosted Wiki
Pros• Requires little
technological knowledge
• WSYWIG (easy to edit by all staff/ students)
• No server access required
• Many do not have ads if wiki is used for educational purposes
Cons• No control of what
happens to the content (wiki farm shuts down, wiki could be gone forever)
• Not always as flexible
• Additional flexibility can cost $$
Wiki Software
Server Based• Mediawiki• PmWiki• Twiki• MoinMoin• XWiki
Web Based• WetPaint• PBWiki• SeedWiki
Wiki Matrix:
Let’s Make a Wiki!
• We will be using WetPaint to make a Wiki as a resource for Nursing students and faculty. We will use the BizWiki as a guide for ideas, but the layout will be different.– http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizw
iki/index.php/Main_Page
Nursing Resources Page
Consider a WetPaint Wiki
• Web based wiki• Easy to create and update pages• Use your own logo• Use your own domain• Variety of permissions settings- possible to
assign roles to each user/ creator• Ability to back up wiki by exporting content to
html document• Easy to navigate design• Ads will be removed when wikis are used for
educational purposes
Let’s Make a Wiki!
• I’ll show you how to get the wiki started and then together we’ll collaborate and create the Towson Nursing Resources Wiki.
• http://towsonnursingresources.wetpaint.com/