I think these library wikis are a great idea - but I've always loved wikis anyway. From the big one, wikipedia, to several smaller ones on specific subjects, they're quite useful ways to find information quickly (for all that one can't take the results too seriously, because the communal nature of letting anyone or a lot of people add information increases the chance that the information will be wrong. But as a way to find information for informal purposes - they're great. I've even contributed to several pertaining to some online communities and games I'm in - where we make articles about our character's histories, and such, for our own and other's reference.
I'll admit I wasn't sure how a library could use this kind of thing, though, until I saw the St. Joseph County library wiki. It's pretty neat. All the topic subjects people are looking for, with individual pages that include everything from books on the subject to staff recommendations and links to webpages that could help people find things in the community - all very useful. Especially the 'government' section. I'm forever wondering just how some facet of the city/county/state/country bureaucracy works; how I'm supposed to go about getting a passport or renew my driver's license or pay my bills or taxes. And it looks like a lot of that can be found here, with maps and links to relevant websites.
Of course only part of this project seems to relate to books, but, after all, the library isn't just about books. People rely on us for countless things, asking for directions and information on the government, etc. I think this is a good way to get that to him (as well as throw in a few book recommendations, if that can be done. Or to find the information ourselves if we don't know it.
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