Blogs and Wikis

Since this is a blog, and I'm coordinating discussions on blogs, I guess I should share what I'm going to cover! Well, that's misleading since I'm not "covering" these things so much as citing them as examples of what people are doing in the library and academic worlds with blogs and wikis.

• NC State University WolfBlogs service. We host a blogging service at the NCSU Libraries for anyone to use. Instructors can use them to promote discussion or post class information. Staff can use them to post news or events. Students and faculty also keep personal blogs.
• NC State University WolfWikis service. We also host a wiki platform for any campus use. The biggest users are instructors for courses, and librarians for various uses.
• PAMS Reference Wiki. Part of the WolfWikis service. I've developed a compendium of subject guides, help pages, and instructional handouts onto one wiki, aimed at library users in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS). A similar/inspiration example is the Ohio University Libraries' Biz Wiki.
• UsefulChem Wiki. "Open source science" project led by the Bradley Laboratory at Drexel University. All experimental results and discussions are posted online, both for project staff and the public.
• UsefulChem Blog. Part of the UsefulChem project, for reporting news, generating discussions, and pointing out resources.

These are just a few examples we can talk about. What are their strengths? Weaknesses? Good for any audience, or just a limited one? Easy to set up? Easy to use?

I look forward to discussing these questions and hearing about other examples from Roundtable attendees.