Wikis

This week's discovery exercise focused on wikis and how libraries might be able to best use them. The most popular and well-known wiki is Wikipedia, which is sometimes helpful and interesting but not all that trustworthy since anyone can edit a page. (I once had an English professor confess to purposely putting up incorrect information about Mark Twain on a Wikipedia page. It's still there, too.) While wikis aren't always the most reliable sources for information, they can be beneficial. For libraries, I really like the idea of having book review wikis. This allows customers to voice their opinion and for others to see what is being said about some popular titles. I also like the idea of a subject guide wiki, which would allow users to share their personal expertise. Though wikis might not be the best resource for researching a person like Mark Twain, they can provide unique ways for customers to interact and become more involved with the library they frequent.

Thoughts on Library 2.0

When I hear the term Library 2.0, I think of a continual and necessary evolution of libraries and the services they offer. In a blog entry concerning Library 2.0, librarian Michael Stephens writes, "One of the principles I would add to the Library 2.0 meme is that 'the Library is human' because it makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience." I find one of the key concepts of Library 2.0 to be participation from both librarians and the public who they serve. Stephens' idea that a library can be a place of social and emotional engagement is a really interesting and important concept, but it can only be realized through mutual participation. That participation can come through many different forms, especially as libraries progress in areas such as technology. The type of participation does not matter as much as the participation itself.