About+Wikis+and+Other+2.0+Technology

About Wikis
You can make your own wiki site, too! The term "wiki" refers to the Hawaiian word "wiki wiki" for "quick." That is exactly what wikis are: websites that are quick and easy to edit. Wikis don't have the versatility that regular websites have, but there is no technical expertise or special software needed. Wikis are a great way for librarians of all sorts to put up information on the web, and they are excellent spaces for collaboration. Please contribute to this wiki by adding or editing content. You can check to see who has made what changes by clicking the "recent changes" button in the top navigation bubble on the left, or by clicking the "history" tab across the top. Feel free to sign your additions if you wish, or not, as those wiki features will keep track of that for you. Here are some resources on wikis and on other web 2.0 technology applications that are useful for librarians.

When people say "web 2.0," they are referring to the shift toward interactivity on the Internet. The Internet used to be a place where people with technical knowledge put up information for the rest of us to read. Now, more and more, the web is becoming a participatory place. As information professionals, we need to be able to create opportunities for that interaction. //Web 2.0 for Librarians and Information Professions//, by Ellyssa Kroski (Neal-Shuman, 2008), provides an overview of web 2.0 and the applications that matter most to librarians. There are chapters on everything from social bookmarking (like Delicious) to blogging (like Blogger) to productivity tools (like Google Docs). This is a great introduction to what's out there//, as is Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User//, edited by Nancy Courtney (Libraries Unlimited, 2007). This collection of essays by a number of authors provides another overview of available technology applications. //Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online//, by Meredith Farkas (Information Today, 2007), contains information on many of the same topics as the books mentioned above, but includes a chapter on software for virtual reference, and a nice chapter at the end that places the subject of 2.0 into the context of our present "real lives" and outlines new directions for the future. The future is an important topic when it comes to technology, and it should be noted that, though these and other books offer comparisons of the various 2.0 applications that are available, the field is always changing. Innovation happens rapidly, so what might have been the best blog host in 2007 may not be best in 2009.