So, What's In a Wiki?

Before beginning this exercise, I had some knowledge of Wikipedia. I knew it was an online encyclopedia that was created by it's users. But, for obvious reasons, I never used it. It was difficult for me to get use to the idea that "anyone" can add, edit, or delete. I did not/do not feel it is as reliable as the "real thing". After exploring for this exercise, I was surprised by the extend of wikis. I had only thought of it in the encyclopedia sense. I never thought of it in terms of other uses, especially not for libraries. But, libraries all of the country are beginning to wiki. I learned it could be used as a pathfinder (I remember doing that dreaded assignment in library school :) ) and with subject guides, book reviews and community activities.
I liked the Princeton Public Library's Book Lovers Wiki. I think this a good application of wiki for libraries. Like Amazon, users can post synopses and reviews for books they have read. This gives the user more info and allows other users to make more informed decisions on selection. I believe that there needs to be some librarian moderating. A librarian would need to be in control of what stays and what may need to be deleted (if inappropriate to the wikis purpose). I found it interesting how Princeton Library also informed users if they did not own a book. But, let users know it could be ILLed. Also liked the staff reviews. St. Joseph's County Library Pathfinders explored topics of interest such as crafts, travel and pets. For each topic, a list of books, magazines, online resources, and even an upcoming library program connected to the topic was offered. I thought this was a great collaboration among users, librarians, etc. It could only be beneficial to the library wiki user. In conclusion, I believe wiki's present some interesting ideas to be explored by libraries.