I’m talking about wikis!

Well, I guess that comes as no surprise, but this time I’ll actually be talking (as opposed to writing)!

I’m so excited to be giving a live online talk about wikis for OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries). Participation is totally totally free and all you have to do is download a tiny little applet to take part in the discussion. Here’s the writeup from OPAL about the talk:

OPAL is pleased to present Wiki World: An Introduction. To participate, go to the online auditorium at http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0 type your name and click enter. A small software applet will download to your computer as you enter the room.

Thursday, January 12, 2006 beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 8:00 p.m. GMT:

Wiki World: An Introduction

Wikis are democratizing the World Wide Web in a way that no other Web application has. A wiki allows a group of people to collaboratively develop website with no knowledge of HTML or other markup languages. Any member of the wiki community can add to or edit anyone else’s content, which is what makes Wikis so revolutionary and so controversial. Wikis are being used by librarians as knowledge repositories, subject guides, conference planning vehicles, and Intranets, but they could be used in any situation where quick and easy online collaboration is a goal. This session will explain what wikis are, how they could be used in libraries, and what to consider before creating one of your own. Presented by Meredith Farkas, Distance Learning Librarian at the Kreitzberg Library at Norwich University in Vermont. Meredith is the author of the blog Information Wants To Be Free and the creator and administrator of the ALA Chicago 2005 Wiki and Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. Sponsored by the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center.

This OPAL event will be held in the Auditorium.

I know a lot of people who haven’t used wikis think they must be complicated or difficult to use, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. This session is going to be a “nuts and bolts” introduction to wikis. What are they? How can libraries use them? What should you consider before implementing on at your library?

Hope to see you there!