I have bookmarked a number of wikis that have a place in the life of the librarian—either as library tools or as informational sources that are potentially useful in reference. I will be discussing these wikis in my presentation, and will focus on why these are potentially useful sources of information. Specifically, I will discuss authority, credibility, and community participation issues. The wikis I plan to discuss in class, time permitting, are listed below, and all are bookmarked through Delicious.

General and topical encyclopedia wikis
Wikipedia
Britannica wiki
Psychology wiki
Thomas Jefferson wiki
Encyclopedia of Earth

Health wikis
Medipedia
Nutritionpedia
Sleep apnea wiki (!)

Hobby wikis
Familypedia (genealogy)
Wikitravel (and city versions)
Vintage Sewing Patterns
Encyclowine (wine wiki)
Beer wiki
Bike collectives wiki

Local wikis
Davis, California
Omaha, Nebraska

Government wikis
Peer-to-Patent wiki

Library resource wikis
Library Success
LISwiki


The following two articles give positive reviews to several of the wikis listed above and discuss thems from the perspective of reliability and usefulness as information sources.

Bell, S. Wikis for reference, enthusiasts, and government information. Online (Weston, Conn.) v. 33 no. 1 (January/February 2009) p. 20-3
Bell, S. Wikis as legitimate research sources. Online (Weston, Conn.) v. 32 no. 6 (November/December 2008) p. 34-7

About wiki encyclopedias:

Cornnell, M. Google: Designing a user-generated encyclopedia. Information Today, v. 25, no. 6, (June 2008), p. 39-40.
This short article is a tutelage on how to create a wiki encyclopedia, based on lessons learned from Wikipedia.

“Britannica Gets 'Wikified'.” School Library Journal, v. 54, no. 7 (July 2008), p. 12.
This is an announcement of Britannica to compete with Wikipedia.



The following items about wikis are briefly annotated:

Brisco, S. Which wiki is right for you? School Library Journal, vol. 53, no. 5 (May 2007), pp. 78-79.
Reviews of three big wiki providers.

Hines, Samantha Schmehl. Wikis, blogs and other collaborative tools in library services: A workbook and reference. PNLA Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 2 (Winter 2007), pp. 27-31.
Bullet list of all the good things to know about how wikis work and what they are good for. Also includes similar lists for blogs, podcasts, IM, and other 2.0 tools.

Kille, A. Wikis in the workplace: How wikis can help manage knowledge in library reference services. LIBRES, vol. 16, no. 1 (March 2006), p. 1
Excellent article that gives the basics of wikis, definitions, brief history, how they work, different ways to start one, providers. Also describes use of wiki for knowledge management in libraries, specifically different ways libraries can create and use wikis for reference and instruction. Good links for wiki providers. Also a couple of library wiki recommendations.

Molen, Kendra. Wee wikis: Implementing the use of wikis with elementary students. Library Media Connection, vol. 27, no. 4 (Jan/Feb 2009), pp. 57-58.
Wiki software/provider recommendations. Guidelines for administering a wiki. POINT: even grades 5 and 6 can use!

Saxton, Beth. Information tools using blogs, RSS, and wikis as professional resources. Young Adult Library Services, vol. 6, no. 2 (Winter 2008), pp. 27-29.
Very basic overview and at-a-glance bullet list of attributes of wikis, blogs, and RSS feeds. POINT: Includes list of specific wikis recommended for YA librarians.