Wikis (Week 7 #16)

Probably everyone has used Wikipedia and is familiar with the concept of wikis. I can see there potential usefulness in libraries. The approach is great for compiling information and resources from various directions. Staff with a common expertise or responsibility (e.g YA staff, children's staff) can bring together resources of specific interest to them. Or, resources based on subject areas (pathfinders, suggested reading lists, general reference resources) can be brought together. Often the discovery of these resources takes a lot of effort. A wiki can give the opportunity to save and share the results of those efforts.

The thing about wikis that has always made me approach their content with a degree of reserve is that they can be edited by all and sundry (or, at least, all and sundry who have permission to do so). Unless it's an area in which I am already somewhat versed, I'm never really sure how accurate or authoritative the information I'm reading really is.