I was just wondering if any libraries are using wikis as a way to collect local information. For example, I believe that there are many people and organizations in the local community with lots of valuable local knowledge. Organizations like Historical Societies and Family History groups would be especially important. On the library website,where I work, we have Local Profiles, which is a list of suburbs within our library area, with historical information, like early land grants, industries etc. Included in these profiles are "timelines" which bring us up to the present. Our library has stopped cutting out articles from our local newspapers and filing them in cutting files. These are newspapers which are not indexed on ProQuest and not indexed anywhere. I have an idea that wikis might be used as a point of local knowledge collection. There is some concern about having to check the validity and quality of the information etc, but surely there would be a way to limit the contributers to avoid complete crackpots contributing.
So if any of you have any experience with this, it would be great.
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There is a group of libraries in northern Melbourne working collaboratively on a wiki http://www.wikinorthia.net.au/, or there are overseas examples (in the course) of libraries and communities working together, but I have not yet come across a NSW example - I am sure a few will be developed after this course.
Ellen
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