Wikis in Action @ Binghamton University
Libraries
Abigail BordeauxErin RushtonMarcy Strong
Binghamton in Brief
• 13,000+ students• 700+ faculty• 100+ library staff
Background
• Staff intranet in place for several years
• Remotely hosted wikis in use since early 2005
• Momentum post-CIL ’05 to organize and develop wiki locally
Implementation Process I
• Formed task force in April ’05• Researched and reviewed wiki
options pretty quickly• Recommended implementation of
MediaWiki in May ‘05
Implementation Process II
• Installed in July 2005• Migrated content from other wikis• Populated with some intranet content• Added help files in August/September• Took break in early fall• Conducted training in November
Now
• Adding to help files• Writing style guidelines• Developing templates• Considering role of the intranet• Conducting further training
Committee Page•Agendas and meeting minutes •Collaborative editing •Repository for documents•Committee descriptions •Committee members
Current Events
Home
Home
Future Plans
• More content – From intranet– Ideas from staff– Ideas from CIL 2006
• Public wiki – Waiting to see what computing centre
does
Creating Help Files
• Based on WikiMedia Foundation files (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents)
• Modified for BU staff needs
Creating Help Files
• Based on WikiMedia Foundation files (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents)
• Modified for BU staff needs• Included a glossary of software-
specific terms
Benefits of Creating Help Files
• Files reside on local server• Local decision on what to include• Great way to learn the software
Training Sessions
• Designed as an hour-long, interactive session in the computer lab
• Asked participants to bring a file to add as practice
Training Outline
• What is a wiki?
Training Outline
• What is a wiki?• Used help files as training structure
Training Outline
• What is a wiki?• Used help files as training structure• How does the software work and
what can it do for the user?• Lots and lots of practice!
Staff Concerns about the Wiki
• Idea of collaborative editing• Making mistakes• Security• Appropriate content
So, What Did We Learn?
• Information overload: basic is better• Need more time for hands-on
learning • Need additional training• Start with content already on wiki
and seek further suggestions