Wikis in Libraries

• Published in: Information technology and libraries Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 26 - 38
• Main Author: Bejune, Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL American Library Association 01.09.2007
• Subjects: Academic Libraries; Applications; Applications (e.g. Digitizing,...); Authors; Categories; Collaboration; Computer supported cooperative work; Computers; Conferences (Gatherings); Cooperation; Cooperative work; Design; Digital libraries; Electronic Libraries; Encyclopedias; Ethnography; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information and communication technologies; Information management; Information resources; Information science. Documentation; Information technologies: storage media, equipment; Internet resources (portals, blogs, wikis,…); Learning Activities; Libraries; Library and information science. General aspects; Library Personnel; Library Research; Library staff; LibraryWikis; Literature reviews; Sciences and techniques of general use; Studies; Success; Technology application; Use and user studies. Information needs; Websites; Wikis; Writers; United States; United States > US; Wiki; Library; Use study; Result
• ISSN: 0730-9295; 2163-5226
• DOI: 10.6017/ital.v26i3.3273

Wikis have recently been adopted to support a variety of collaborative activities within libraries. This article and its companion wiki, LibraryWikis (http://librarywikis.pbwiki.com/), seek to document the phenomenon of wikis in libraries. This subject is considered within the framework of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). The author identified thirty-three library wikis and developed a classification schema with four categories: (1) collaboration among libraries (45.7 percent); (2) collaboration among library staff (31.4 percent); (3) collaboration among library staff and patrons (14.3 percent); and (4) collaboration among patrons (8.6 percent). Examples of library wikis are presented within the article, as is a discussion for why wikis are primarily utilized within categories I and II and not within categories III and IV. It is clear that wikis have great utility within libraries, and the author urges further application of wikis in libraries.