While I am not new to the Wiki experience, I have always treated the information attained with some scepticism and trepidation – if I couldn’t qualify the data on a few others sites, then I classified it as fiction and didn’t use it.
Before exploring Wiki once again, I was already intrigued by a statement from NSW Public Libraries, that ‘a recent survey by Stern found that the German language version of Wikipedia was more accurate than the leading German language encyclopaedia, Brockhaus’ – wow, that beams a new light of faith to Wiki.
The breadth and scope of Wiki is just enormous. Whether you want a quick answer on what is western neck reining or exploring specific Wiki sites dedicated to eg: Lego and Bionicles. The types of applications within Manilla Library that might work well with Wiki are endless.
Since joining the library as a staff member six months ago, I have seen so many of our young borrowers establish their own email address – for a small rural town this is brilliant.
This is the world we live in – to watch the Y and Z generation prefer to sit at a table and text each other than speak may seem sad to some people, but is simple a sign of the times. My Z generation thinks I have lost the plot and entered a world of pure fiction, when I speak about a childhood without colour television, the internet, iPods or CD’s!
When people speak of a simpler time without technology, they do not have my endorsement. Yes, I know it is fast paced and changing daily – but how exciting. I remember as a child being frustrated at the time it took to complete an essay – especially when the only resource was always borrowed by the teachers pet.
Our library is special – a centre of meeting, advancement and achievement. We offer services to the community, just like other libraries and while the time of researching data in books may change to be more instant, libraries will always play a crucial role in the community and peoples lives.
Gosh, there are so many different Wiki’s, that I can see being created from Manilla – we may need our www.manilla.wikia.com.
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