Wikis

Session Information

The TOTS session on wikis was held on Thursday May 24, 2007 from 1.00 - 3:00 in Koerner 217. This page provides a list of speakers, links to the wikis and wiki softwares discussed in the session, and finally a link to a summary of the group discussion.

Speakers:

• Susan Atkey, Librarian, Humanities and Social Sciences
• Katherine Miller, Librarian, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
• Jo-Anne Naslund, Instructional Programs Librarian, Education Library
• Lindsay Ure, Librarian, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre

What is a wiki?

Wikis in Plain English (Lee LeFever. Commoncraft. May 2007.)

 URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

Why use a wiki?

• allows for online collaboration - multiple editors can contribute content
• quick to set up and doesn't require knowledge of html
• anyone with Internet access can make contributions - but you can restrict access to read only or keep it private if you choose
• you can see the history of edits to a page - to view individual contributions, see how the resource has developed, or revert back to previous versions

Wiki software

There are many wiki software options to choose from, each with their own set of pros and cons. The three most common (and free!) choices are:

• MediaWiki: a free, open source software originally written for Wikipedia.
• PBwiki: "is an easy-to-use web page that multiple people can edit ". You're looking at a PBwiki!
• Wikka Wiki: a free, open source software, used by UBC eLearning to create the UBCWiki - a wiki that anyone at UBC can create pages in for use in their work

If you're unsure what will work for you, try the Choice Wizard on the Wikimatrix website, which asks you a series of questions to help you narrow down which software will work best.

Wikis at UBC Library

Social Library BC & Yukon Wiki: created for a recent panel presentation at the BCLA conference. Presenters (including Sally Taylor and Lindsay Ure from UBC Library) used the wiki as a collaboration tool, and as a resource for participants to refer to after the presentation. (pbwiki)

UBC HealthLib-Wiki - A Knowledge-Base for Health Librarians : Created by and for the SLAIS LIBR534 course on Health Information Sources and Services as a place where Canadian health librarians can share information in context. (MediaWiki)

Political Science 100 : Created as a student library research portal by Ellen George for Dr. Bruce Baum's Political Science 100 (Introduction to Politics). Wiki pages include Term Paper Topics; Term Paper - Finding Information; Finding Journals and Journal Articles in the UBC Library; and Citing Your Sources. (UBCWiki)

African and Diaspora Children's Literature Project: an online, collaborative resource for children, parents, caregivers, teachers and librarians to experience African and Diaspora literature. (Mediawiki)

ALPS LINK: Created by the ALPS Subcommittee working cross-institutions to participate in the BC Campus SOL*R. The mission of LINK is to be a repository of learning objects to support academic librarians in their instructional role.

Summary of Group Discussion

A summary of the group discussion from the TOTS Wiki session, which was facilitated by RIC committee members, is available in pdf by clicking on this link: TOTS_wiki_QnAs.pdf

Further Reading

For more information about wikis and how they are being used by academic libraries, please see the following bibliography available through RefShare:

http://refworks.scholarsportal.info/refshare?site=010561141189200000/190-95-8SKCK71880713/Wikis