Pros:
- Easy to add information
- Anybody can add to it
- There are wikis on tons of topics (Who knew there were so many experts out there?!)
Cons:
- Because anyone can add to a wiki, the information may not be accurate - (Can you restrict who is able to add content?)
- Because anyone can add to a wiki, the creator of the wiki has no control over the content
Our library is planning for the future and exploring the possibility of building a new facility. I can see how a wiki could be helpful in gathering opinions from our community. Not everyone is able to attend community meetings: a wiki would be available 24/7.
On the flip side, I wouldn't want a wiki to become a place for library bashing because a patron is angry about an overdue fine or a long hold queue. But I guess that's the chance you take....
I heard a young patron the other day refer to my library" (not the library). That is what we strive for: that the community values the library and feels a part of it.
I'm still in the middle, but I may be leaning towards the positive....
About the wikis listed on the 2.0 Challenge, I did find several articles on the Library Success wiki that I want to read or listen to (library podcasts). And the Rapid City Flood wiki is great. Having not grown up in South Dakota, I know very little about the flood (only what I've read in local histories). Having this site with first-hand accounts and photos is amazing. Good Work, RCPL!
You bring up some excellent points! It's true that Wikipedia is definitely not the best resource because of content control.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing, is that when you create a wiki, you can set permissions -- private or public, these people are 'writers', these people are 'admin', and these people are only 'readers'.
Here's a blog post that you might find interesting: http://boagworld.com/business-strategy/10-harsh-truths-about-corporate-blogging
#7 touches on unfavorable comments in a blog/website. Sure, someone might complain but at least in the blog or website the public can see how you are dealing with problems -- turning them into positives, rather than feeding the negatives...