Blog or Wiki?

[Tracy Richards]

I want to create a presence on the web for my library and can't decide between a blog or wiki (I have one of each for personal/teaching stuff)

I want to add features like:
-librarything
-online bookable calendar
-catalogue searches
-pathfinders

comments?

[Cathy Nelson]

If you want more of the control with these elements and only desire input from others invested in the content, then a blog will work nicely, as the audience can use the comments feature to help you tweak the information. But if you want to eventually move towards a collaborative effort, where those with vested interest help maintain portions (i.e. pathfinders) then a wiki is a better app. IMHO. You might want to consider a ning as well.

[Jackie Keith]

Why not use both?
Last year, we used a web page build into the catalog as the main base for instruction. The blog was on blogger.

Our online calendar for equipment/labs/computer carts is editable by all the teachers. http://reserved4bears.pbworks.com. We only had a few problems with people scheduling over each other (fewer than we did when they used paper.) They like that travelling teachers (and everone else) can schedule from anywhere.

The library calendar is updated by TLs after we confer via e-mail or in person with the teachers. http://riverbendlibrary.pbworks.com/ We use the 30boxes calendar plugin (since ot as much needs to go in each box.)
That has worked very well.

[Kathi Knop]

Hi Jackie,
Does this mean that all teachers have a pbwiki account to access your calendar?

[Jackie Keith]

Yes. Since it was so easy to sign up, they may not all realize that they now have "an account."

[Jackie Keith]

Correction-- for our library calendar, anyone can see it (no accounts needed), but only the teacher-librarians have edit access. They have an account to reserve equipment and labs on another pbwiki.

[Fran Bullington]

Tracy,

I second Cathy's comments on how to decide whether you want a blog or wiki. There was a discussion concerning this earlier here - didn't know if you had seen it:

http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/group/highschoolteacherlibrarians/...

[Jennifer Garcia]

Hi we had a similar issue at the beginning of last school year and decided that a wiki was definitely the way to go. It is a fabulous parking lot for links, information and media. We went with pbworks for our Library site but I have to admit my personal choice would have been Wikispaces, which I use for all of my other school websites. Wikispaces will supply you with a free plus account and it is really user friendly, so much so we have begun training members of the ALA in El Salvador on how to use it to create their own library web pages. Don't get me wrong blogs are great, in fact you could use a blog in conjunction with the wiki for announcements, discussions etc and link it off of the wiki.

[Kelly Reierson]

Having used both I find wikis much more user friendly. My favorite is wetpaint! It looks and feels like a webpage! However, that being said my library site it on a blog---I did before I knew about wikis!

[gwyneth jones]

Hi!! this is a good one!---- i really think you only need a wiki....and maybe a blog, but that's fun!

i have a blog (since 06) , wiki & webpage...i use my blog as a constant contact with my kids & families in the community..to have an ongoing public face and resources...where they can leave comments and get links to other resources:
MHMS Media Blog
i also have a blog i just started after NECC to share tips & tricks with other educators (cause i'm sure my kids could care less on some of our issues! LOL)
Library Media Tech Musings
i have a prof dev wiki (06) that i use with all my teachers for all kinds of tech tips & tricks and web 2.0h tools
MHMS Prof Dev Wiki for Teachers
and also a wiki i use with my kids instead of backflip anymore for the computer lab
MHMS Learning Wiki
i do have a webpage with expectations, mission statement and research database links
MHMS Library Media Center Web Page
(but really, that's overload! you can do the same on a wiki!!) and i really do think that wikis have changed how we interact with the web....no more need for Dreamweaver or HTML!
we also have a Smugmug Digital Photo gallery we've had for 5+ years! easy peasy way to share school pics!

but honestly...i think a wiki is all you might want to start with...the calendar thing....i use my first class email for that...but everything else can be done with a wiki.....just my 2cents!
~Gwyneth