It was pretty darn popular for a while there, but was eventually taken over by the web.

I’m always surprised each time I remember there’s a page for my city on Wikipedia. How would yours be different from the Montpelier page on Wikipedia? Or is it the connection with the library that’s desired?

I think you make a good point. There seems to be a mini-paradigm change in the “technology access” world. The early model seemed to be that the website was an access point that is largely separate from the physical spaces — like it’s own branch. At the same time, branch spaces seemed to want to turn the website into a promotional tool for their branch and they largely missed many online service opportunities (IMHO).

To me, this is a loss of focus for the service. I think the new model is that technology should make what libraries do well even better. In the public library setting, there is no doubt that an online catalog is a great way to get books. Place your holds, and they sit on a shelf for you to pick them up. Not exactly a self-dependent service point, nor does it really promote the use of a branch. A great website can also make using a library computer an even more enjoyable experience too. A virtual space can also increase the capacity of certain programs too. Online tutorials can help students reinforce what they learned in classrooms. And so on.

Your focus has rightfully been technology, but I feel that libraries, regardless of what they offer online, are fundamentally in need of being seen as ‘places’ — when a library pushes new technologies, it should take some effort to put a ‘face’ on that technology to always tie what you do online to who you will see when you come into the library. Academically this plays well to into establishing relationships between scholars and librarians, and building support structures for students who will grow into lifetime users. I wish it were done more. Publicly, you’re opening the space up to everyone — not just to an already well-supported online community. Innovation and community building should occur on both streets — actual and virtual — concurrently and collaboratively.

I may just be afraid that people will want to spend all their time online without ever meeting the people behind the services, but by not having that librarian or library ‘face’ — that physcial manifestation of what a patron sees online — don’t you risk routing everything about the library toward a virtual space over supporting personnel, physcial collections, and shared physcial spaces? Joining the two together, however, supports both practes and allows the patron to choose their preferred method of contact, with an understadning that they’re still working with certain individuals who themselves become another access point.

Here in Norway, we are facing some of the same challenges. Will be very interesting to see how libraries develop here, in the US, and elsewhere.

Best regards,

Raymond

In a college production, the library could partner with the student newspaper or student government.

In a community production, the college library could partner with the public library and the welcome wagon.

–Joy

I think your idea is sound in principle, but I think a manager would say something like “I think a wiki is an excellent option for a community resource: now back up a second and tell me what is the problem you are trying to solve here. Is it our problem (ie. does it relate to the library’s mission and goals)? Who is your target? What resources do you need to put this on? Is this service sustainable in the long term? Would some other group in the community be a better choice for this sort of thing? Is there a partnership opportunity here? Who would the wiki impact (positively or negatively/internally or externally) and how? Would the board (or other governing body) buy into it?

Put all these responses with analysed data into a 30-page report and send it to me for review. You have three months.” I think the problem with any public-oriented institution is that you have to justify everything you do and account for every penny & minute of staff time. I shouldn’t have said “problem” because this justification process is actually a good thing.

On the top of my head, I would think this would be a good partnership activity. As in, the library teams with a welcome wagon group or new immigrants group and offers the wiki. In Canada, I think there are sweet little grants for this sort of thing — except you have to fight upteen dozen other communities to do it.