Thing # 17

I like our wiki! Adding to it was a lot easier than I expected it would be, so I sort of went nuts and added the whole Money section to the circulation manual. It kind of gave me a giggle when PBwiki asked if I wanted it to clean up the Microsoft Word text. Because I'm a big geek that way.

I tried searching for "claims return" just to see what I'd get. My only result was the missing/damaged/lost outline. I then searched for a more general term. One that I knew was in there at least once. "Money." I got 8 results ranging from the text in the two of the check in sections, and the rest from the money sections.

I think this'll be a great way to put all of the stuff that we have scattered across the server and put it one place for everyone's reference. I know I have things that I use every day that occasionally comes in handy for someone else on staff, but most people are too considerate to go spelunking in my folder. For example, the Smyrna Gift slips we use for donations we want to catalog. Or the materials from the readers' advisory for paraprofessionals presentation I gave a few years ago. I would love to stick that on there for people to add to!

Oh, I did notice that it doesn't log you out when you close the browser. So I'll have to remember to log out beforehand.

I have a feeling, though, that the only way for us to get the staff members who aren't participating in 2.0 because they're uncomfortable with technology to use the wiki is to make the information contained in it only accessible through the wiki and nowhere else. If it's in paper form in their work area, those folks are going to use that instead, potentially using an outdated policy or form. Although, I hope they prove me wrong! We'll definitely be working on it at Smyrna! :-)

Again, I would love to see a book talk resource, and I think a wiki would work just as well as a blog would, if not better. It would be searchable, could be split up into genres and subjects, and more than one person could post their thoughts and ideas instead of being stuck with one opinion from one person in a review of a book.