Poster presentation delivered to The Irish Universities Information Services Colloquium (IUISC), 5th March 2009, Galway, Ireland. 2009-03-05.

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Title Current use of Wikis at UCD Library
Author(s) Gallagher, David; Pan, Rosalind; Vernet, Anne
Publication 2009-03-05
Date
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2. Current use of WIKIS at UCD Library
David Gallagher, Rosalind Pan and Anne Vernet
WIKIS are increasingly being incorporated into institutional business processes including libraries. WIKIS have both advantages and
disadvantages, However usage of WIKIS in UCD Library since mid-2007 suggests that suitable WIKIS appropriately designed, implemented and
managed offer a dynamic alternative to traditional methods of document storage and facilitate increased collaboration. In the future the Library
hopes to embed WIKI utilization within its structures while widening and deepening usage across all departments, working groups and
branches.
“A WIKI is simply a website •Shared drives, Intranet and UCD Connect Portal used •Identify specific goals for the WIKI
in which users can create to store manuals and project documentation •Consider if a WIKI is the most suitable option
and collaboratively edit •First WIKIS created on an experimental basis by •Choose a product with WYSIWYG editor
pages, and easily link them Reader Services and Information Resource •Have a WIKI gardener to tidy things up,
together. You can utilize Management teams in 2007 remove old content, add new sections,
WIKIS for nearly any •Electronic Services team created several project restructure etc
purpose, ranging from writing WIKIS starting in Spring 2008 •Ensure that the WIKI is the sole storage
a collective online •Roll out of WIKIS to branch libraries in Summer 2008 place for relevant documentation
encyclopedia to building •Library staff WIKI Workshop in November 2008 •Provide training to existing and new staff
personal Web pages.” •First update and exchange meeting of WIKI users •Make clear to the team an expectation of
Stewart Mader, WIKIpatterns held in February 2009
(http://WIKIpatterns.com)
participation and collaboration on the WIKI
“People have not embraced all of our project WIKIS – “The WIKI is more egalitarian and anyone with the
getting people to actively participate is often a challenge permitted permission levels can edit and alter it and it is
with only 1 or 2 in the team doing so. It was important to secure in that the administrator/s are notified whenever
have a WIKI gardener to remove obsolete items and tidy any changes are made. As you have to apply to join the
up the structure with the larger project WIKIS” WIKI the administrator/s have control over access."
Online Environment Consultancy Group Coordinator Richview Library WIKI User
“If we deliver this course again we will re-think it so that "Encourages collaboration from staff in similar work areas
participation and joint working are much more central to in university libraries throughout the country. Fills a gap in
the students, that did not happen this time round. How to the communication environment and allows a focus on
assess and mark joint work will be an issue” shared topics of concern."
SILS e-Toys WIKI User Talis Catalogue Ireland WIKI User
•Up and running in minutes •Remotely hosted WIKIS may not be a •Exchange of experience meeting each
•No hardware and software set-up long term option semester for WIKI users
•No managerial processes to slow •No policy on usage or managerial •Ongoing library staff awareness and
down progress control of this bottom-up development training
•Easy to edit with built-in WYSIWYG •Lack of data structuring not suitable for •Possibly a locally hosted WIKI platform
some forms of data •Consider relationship of WIKI usage to
•Easy to combine a mix of files,
images, to-do lists, web links •Free versions lack some facilities and emerging document management systems
an ongoing subscription can be costly in the University
•Democratic nature of WIKIS
•Not everyone in a group participates in •Implement a managerial policy to monitor
•Knowledge is not restricted to one
the concept or makes contributions - in and control usage
location and is accessible 24/7
itself it does not build a team •User-focused WIKIS