FavoriteThings@NLC

Well, adding content and links to a PBwiki site couldn't be easier. Who invents these wonderful apps, anyway!? And what's next? Whatever it is, the U.S. is going to need a lot more bandwidth so we can all use these tools and gain access to the knowledge created as a result. It is disheartening to read that the big ISPs are beginning to ration bandwidth or switching to a pricing scheme that charges by the amount you download. You know, everyone should have fast, broadband access. And, it should be free! Yes, I've been accused of being an impatient idealist, but if we are moving toward a knowledge-based economy and becoming an information society, wouldn't it be a good idea to work on expanding the network we use to transfer and share our products? One of my fantasies is that when a child is born, she/he would get not only a Social Security number, but an IP address as well.

Anyway, I had fun adding content to the NLC Learning 2.0 Wiki Sandbox. No one had added favorites to the other areas, so I started by adding some restaurants that are my favorites. I hope to see more favorites entries soon.

Wiki Wonk

It's the collaborative part of wikis that I really like, although I can see how using a wiki to quickly create a website can be empowering to many. I loved the Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. What a great way for librarians to share what works with each other. The link at Technology > Free/Open Source Software contains some really useful information about how libraries are using open source software for their OPAC, for public access computers, and for staff. I could have used a wiki when I was working in the technology side of libraries and trying to work with a committee that could never find a time when everyone could meet. Our mission was to create a new technology plan for the library and I can see how setting up a wiki would have been a terrific way to gather ideas from everyone and develop a product that everyone could support. I could also see the advantage in establishing a wiki to teach customers how to log in to a library's wifi network and then inviting successful users to post tips and warn of problems they encountered. It would be a way for the customers to help each other with their real world experiences. That would be much better than users calling and emailing the tech team every time they encountered a problem. At Lincoln City Libraries, the staff uses a wiki to keep their selected website directory up-to-date. This practice spreads out the responsibility for keeping the sources current, so that customers don't encounter dead links or outdated information. Yes, I think it would be easy to become a wiki wonk.

BTW, the picture is actually of a Tiki, not a Wiki.