Setting up a centralized knowledge base for your library can be a great way to collaboratively brainstorm ideas, gather specialized knowledge, organize instructional resources, and even replace intranets. Creating a private, personal knowledge base will keep you organized, store your files, and provide an online space for brainstorming, reading lists, project ideas, to-do lists, and even travel plans. Learn how to create your own personal and organizational repositories of information and knowledge with no technical skills required!

1. Create Your Own
Knowledge Base
Ellyssa Kroski

2. Knowledge Bases
• Repositories or hubs where information can
be collected, organized, shared, stored,
searched and utilized.
• Public or private
• Personal or organizational

3. PERSONAL
Knowledge Bases

4. Brainstorming Hub
Current
Archives

5. Article ideas Time Off Tracker
LIS course Lesson Plans Most Recent Bio & CV

6. Class Reading Lists Library Conference CFP’s
Conference Proposals Book Series Plans

7. What Else?
• Archive past research for articles, courses, etc.
• To-Do Lists
• Annual Goals Lists
• Website Design Notes
• Book Ideas
• Project Ideas
• Grant Ideas

8. Workshops & Instruction

9. Writing Projects

10. Collaborations

11. Trip and Event Planning

12. ORGANIZATIONAL
Knowledge Bases

13. Staff Intranets

14. Staff Intranets

15. Forms Policies
Collaborative Documents Technical Documentation

16. What Else?
• Staff Project Pages
• Directories
• Charters
• Planning and Strategy Documents
• Meeting Agendas and Notes
• Statistics

17. Disciplinary or Subject Knowledge Bases

18. Subject Guides or Local Info

19. Reference Knowledge Base

20. CREATE YOUR OWN!

21. Software
• Wikis
– From the Hawaiian, meaning quick or fast, a wiki is a
collaborative online space in which many users can
work together on a shared document or webpage. A
wiki allows users to create documents and websites
quickly and easily, sometimes without even logging in.
– Special Features
• Allows WYSIWYG interface for authors
• User Roles/Permissions
• Simultaneous Editing
• HTML View
• Version Control
• Many are Free
• No Technical Knowledge Necessary
• RSS Feeds

22. Wikis
• Examples
– Wikipedia
– OpenCongress
– wikiHow
– Wookieepedia
• Great Tools for:
– Team projects
– Remote collaboration
– FAQs
– Course instruction
– Encyclopedias
– Intranets

23. Anatomy of a Wiki
Add a New Page
Edit Page
Recent Changes

24. Anatomy of a Wiki
Show All Pages
Search
Comments

25. Anatomy of a Wiki
Upload Files

26. Hands-On
• Demo
• Practice wiki:
http://web20practice.pbworks.com
– Username: web20student
Password: walrus2cherry
• Exercise:
– Add a new page and some text

27. Start a New Wiki
• Types of Wiki Software
– PBWorks
– Wetpaint
– Google Sites
– Mediawiki
– Microsoft SharePoint
– Wiki Comparison Matrix
• Demo
– Starting New
– Settings
– User Permissions

28. Build a Knowledge Base
• Create a navigational structure - Although it may change
with use, create a menu for navigation at the outset to
make it easy for your team to start finding their way
around.
• Seed your wiki - No one wants to be the first to contribute
to a blank wiki, seed it with content that others can add to.
• Establish a mission statement and usage policy - Give your
team a set of loose guidelines as to what you are trying to
accomplish with your wiki. It could be as brief as one
sentence, but let them know what the purpose of the wiki
is so that they can contribute.
• Track changes - As the wiki administrator, you will want to
keep abreast of what's happening on your wiki so that you
can help out, remove spam, etc.

29. Build a Knowledge Base
• Utilize permissions levels - Most wikis will enable you
to attribute certain rights to specific users, make use of
this feature to control access to your wiki.
• Create an FAQ - You can save yourself a lot of time and
redundant email responses by creating an Frequently
Asked Questions page on your wiki.
• Create regular backups - You will want to make an
effort to backup your data on a regular basis, especially
if you are creating a permanent online resource such as
a subject guide, etc., most wikis offer this functionality.
• Market your wiki – Whether you are creating a public
or private resource through a wiki, let people know it's
available!

30. Training and Buy-In
• Gaining Buy-In
– Ask for Team Leaders
– Give them the ROI
– Show them Proof-of-Concept
• Training
– Live Demo
– Technical Documentation
– Video Demo
– Drop-in Sessions
– Help Page(s)

31. Training and Buy-IN

32. Access this Presentation
http://www.slideshare.net/ellyssa
ELLYSSA KROSKI
http://www.ellyssakroski.com