wiki wiki

So far, my experience of something 'wiki' in libraries was related to students looking for short cuts while approaching essay deadlines or - far more sensible - to get a quick summary of a topic before diving into more specific literature. Following some of the links on the main "23 Things Cambridge" blog, I found the wiki of the Serial Acquisitions Unit at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. This wiki is a file repository for general procedures and monthly reports, at the same time it is used for updates and apparently also for collaborations within the library team (possibly across shifts). All these applications are potentially very useful in a library. It allows access for all staff and it can even be made public.

My previous experience of wikis outside libraries relates to the MCR website of my college. This website is used to update the MCR community on upcoming events, it provides a list of useful college contacts, possible funding sources and a wealth of other information for current and future students which can be updated by community members.
Another application of wikis (and more specifically Wikipedia) was and is during my other life as a linguist. Ever since the Wikiproject was promoted through the Linguist List, articles related to linguistics on Wikipedia have become increasingly more reliable and better in quality. How about a Wikiproject related to libraries? There are many aspects of libraries that every user faces (e.g. classification systems - some more widely used than others, general ground rules, Ninja Librarians etc.) and that every librarian faces (e.g. library management, liaising with readers/Directors of Study, new projects). More than enough reasons and material to justify a Wikiproject.