Week Nine

In ILL, we have thought about using a wiki to document all our work procedures. Our procedures seem to change quickly or we often find better ways of doing old routines. Updating “print” instructions becomes time consuming since things change rapidly in the world of ILL. It seems as though once we finally get some instructions written, they are then out of date. A Wiki would allow us to update the needed parts in a timely manner. In addition, it would allow individual staff members to add any special “tips” or “tricks” they have discovered in our work processes. A wiki, used in this manner, could allow for greater information sharing and make a more knowledgeable staff.

Wikipedia can have both positive and negative impacts on information seeking depending on the way in which it is used. Wikipedia can be a starting point for information seekers. When looking up a topic or term that is unfamiliar, the information found on Wikipedia can provide the seeker with a direction to pursue further research. For example, I searched the term “hat trick” which I am sort of am familiar with, but I wanted to know where this term came from. Using Wikipedia, I was able to learn possible origins and the entries on Wikipedia provided me with ideas where I could learn more (the Hockey Hall of Fame web site). Wikipedia could have a negative impact on information seekers if the seekers assume that all the information obtained is final authority on the topic searched. The ease at which information can be edited needs to be considered before accepting all information on Wikipedia as true. However, good information seekers should always evaluate the sources from which they obtain their information for accuracy.

On a side note …the term Wiki always brings a song by “The Wiggles” to my mind and then I just can’t get the song out of my head. There is a line in the song where a high pitched voice sings “hmmm wiki, wiki, wiki, wiki. Hmmm wiki, wiki, wiki, wiki.” Ahhhh! Now I’m singing that song again! --- If you don’t know who “The Wiggles” are, you can find out by looking them up on Wikipedia :-)