Wikis: Tools for Information Work and Collaboration (Information Professional) (Paperback)

Wikis as information sources, as a form of publishing, and as tools for collaboration, are discussed in this book. The applications of wikis in library and information services, education and business are explored, with examples. The book begins with an overview of wikis, in the context of the increasing use of 'social software' in general and the trend towards a more interactive World Wide Web. The different kinds of wikis are identified and described. The advantages and problems associated with using wikis in information work and collaboration are discussed. One of the problems is simply that of finding wikis that deal with a particular topic or activity, and this is addressed through a discussion of directories, search engines and other finding tools. Later chapters cover the options for creating wikis and the management of a wiki. The book concludes with lists of resources. Key Features: 1. No other book currently available, addresses this highly topical subject. 2. Wikis offer advantages over other forms of groupware as a basis for collaborative projects on the Internet and on intranets within organisations 3. Very few wikis have been created by libraries, information organisations, or educational institutions, despite a focus on information management and provision in these organisations; this book will help managers in these organisations to make decisions about wikis 4. Introduces a range of wikis of different types, so that readers are more aware of these resources The Author: Dr. Jane Klobas is Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Australia and Researcher at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Readership: Librarians working in user services or IT units in academic or public libraries, school librarians, personnel who are providing information services in business, and educators. Contents: An overview of social software in general and wikis in particular - what is social software? what are wikis?; the different kinds of wikis that are available; the most common features of wikis; RSS and its use in wikis. The focus is on the open and collaborative nature of wikis Wikis as information sources - how useful are wikis as sources of information? advantages and problems associated with wikis as information sources; evaluating wikis as sources of information; some examples of wikis (drawn from across several fields including education, technology, business, journalism) Finding wikis - directories and search engines; problems associated with finding wikis. Wikis in the field of library and information science - wikis dealing with library and information science as a topic; using information from wikis in providing information services; wikis created as part of an information service. Examples are provided Wikis in business Wikis in education - wikis as information tools and wikis as tools for collaboration in the educational setting; the use of wikis in teaching and learning. Examples are provided Creating a wiki - the options - an overview of the options; free wiki options; commercial wiki options; wiki hosting; add-ons to enhance a wiki Managing a wiki - an overview of the management issues associated with providing a wiki; planning for implementation of a wiki; making technical decisions; making decisions about and managing content; dealing with issues such as spam and intellectual property rights; allocating staff time and other resources to the development and maintenance of a wiki; promoting the wiki; evaluating the wiki project Sources of information about wikis - printed sources; web-based sources

Dr. Jane E. Klobas is Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Australia and Researcher at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. She was a close collaborator in research on the Internet with Dr. L. Anne Clyde, who conceived of this book and to whom the book is dedicated.