Wikitastic!

As you may have noticed from my previous post, when looking for a quick definition I find the Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page an incredibly useful resource.

I would hesitate to cite it academically, because I am unsure as to the quality of the moderation. However if one was writing on an emerging or marginal popular culture topic, then it may well be the only (somewhat) authoritative source of information.

Wikis are a great way of gathering information and opinions in a thematic way, but the quality of the content will vary and is difficult to police. In libraries it's a good way to encourage interaction from the public and to foster improved communication and engagement among staff. Although, obviously, it will need to be set up with its intended use very much in mind.