This paper is an introduction to wikis for health librarians. While using wikis in health is now well-established, their gradual rise is similar to other Web 2.0 tools like blogs and RSS feeds. The same principles of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and socialization apply to wikis. Easy-to-use, interactive and built on open platforms (though not all are free), wikis offer a number of marketing and teaching opportunities for health librarians. Ironically, due to the prominence of Wikipedia - which paved the way for the broader acceptance of Web 2.0 technologies - wikis are moving beyond the collaborative writing of encyclopedia entries. Wikis are now used for all kinds of projects, from managing internal library content to revising important reference sources, such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). That said, some physicians and librarians express grave concerns about using wikis to create reference works; particularly, how questionable authority and editorial controls may result in medical errors. We argue that wikis were not necessarily meant to replace trusted print and digital information. When used responsibly as part of an overall content management plan, wikis can enhance our traditional collections and services. The authors predict that wikis will continue their rise in medicine through 2008, which will lead to other creative uses and applications in health libraries.

Although social searching is not a new phenomenon, its features of collaboration, conversation, and interaction in a social space among users make it an imperative element of Web 2.0 technologies. The emerging popularity of folksonomies with users generating their own labeling system has allowed social searching to distinguish itself from traditional search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This paper discusses a number of social search tools, including Google Custom Search, Del.icio.us, Youtube, and Flickr, tools that the authors find useful for the practice of a health information professional.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Book Summary The book takes an open and encompassing approach to exploring evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP) and the ways it can improve the practice of librarianship. Bringing together recent theory, research, and case studies, it provides librarians with a new reference point for how they can use and create evidence within their practice, in order to better meet the needs of their communities. Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice is divided into two parts; in the first part the editors explore the background to EBLIP and put forward a new model for its application in the workplace which encompasses five elements: Articulate, Assemble, Assess, Agree, Adapt. In the second part, contributors from academic, public, health, school, and special libraries from around the world provide an overview of EBLIP developments and offer examples of successful implementation. Essential reading for library and information professionals from all types of institutions who want to make more informed decisions and better meet the needs of their users, this book will also be of interest to students of library and information studies and researchers.