Feb 04 2010
Wikis and Getting to Know Your Library Community
A topic that appears frequently in my classes is the notion that a librarian is constantly trying to connect to their community. As a result, librarians administer surveys, focus groups, suggestion boxes, data analysis, and so forth to establish a sense of the user group they are serving. Although these methods are valuable, I believe that the creation of a library wiki could be an excellent way of gathering similar information. Wikis in libraries have the potential of establishing community interests, values, events, entertainment, etc.
I thought of some ideas for wikis that would connect librarians with the community. These include:
-have librarians post information on upcoming library events and encourage library users to post upcoming community events in the same wiki. It could become a virtual bulletin board. Members could also return to event posts after the date has passed to express the event’s success.
-librarians could post new arrivals in books, movies, music, etc. and invite the library community to share their thoughts/recommendations on these resources. This is a great method of promotion online.
-a wiki offering a Q&A could be excellent. Members of the community could ask questions ranging from “what is a great thriller novel?” to “Does anyone know a good recipe for homemade jam?” The responses can be created by several different people offering a rich collection of information.