Wikis are internet-based technologies designed for collaboration. From a social perspective, a wiki is a tool for collaboration, information sharing and knowledge/content management. From a technical perspective, a wiki is a type of software to run a website that anyone can edit
There are lots of different wiki packages available: MediaWiki (which runs Wikipedia, and is freely available as an open-source download) is just one possibility. There are also many free hosting companies which will run a wiki for you if you would like one for personal or project use.
Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org or http://en.wikipedia.org) is a collaboratively-built, multi-lingual, free online encyclopedia. Wikipedia is built by volunteers using wiki technology. Anyone can contribute.
The contributions of LIS professionals are both welcomed and needed on Wikipedia. We can use our skills of organization, fact-checking, clear writing, and helping others to bring about a measurable difference in the quality of Wikipedia articles. Furthermore, Wikipedia is a "hot topic" and a rapidly growing resource, which will continue to have a growing impact on the information universe. Thus not only is contributing important, but learning about the project is key, so as to be able to accurately critique it, use it, and discuss it with patrons.
I am an academic science and engineering reference librarian. This wasn't something I planned as my end goal when I started in library school, although I've always been interested in both academic libraries and reference. I very much enjoy it, however. Engineers and scientists tend to have very specific types of information needs that are different from many other academic fields. Additionally, all these disciplines are different from one another. For engineers, I may be finding patents, standards, and technical reports; for chemists, the latest books and articles in a topic; for mathematicians, classic works and books; for computer scientists, maybe an online google search to help find a freely-available paper.
If you are interested in academic science librarianship, here are some ideas for learning about the field and putting yourself in a better position for ultimately getting a job:
* Join -- or at least read -- a mailing list. There are a handful of mailing lists that professional reference librarians use to get help from one another, and they can make for interesting reading as some of the best librarians out there tackle difficult problems. Discussions vary from a lot of bibilographic verification questions to discussion about publishers and current issues in the field. Some suggestions:
* Get familiar with current issues in the field. "Scholarly communication" isn't just a buzzword -- it's something librarians deal with every day as we attempt to talk to faculty, cancel journals for lack of money, and make budget decisions. Current Internet technologies, the changing face of publishing, and changing student uses of the library (leading to "learning commons" and similar) are all hot issues right now.
* Learn about science! I have no academic science background, but I did work in a lab for a few years so I learned how working scientists do their jobs, which was invaluable. If you haven't studied science or engineering in school, then read up on the fields you're interested in. If you want to be an engineering librarian, for instance, make sure you know the difference between a mechanical and a civil engineer :) What do they do all day? What might they need information for? Wikipedia or other encyclopedias can give good overviews of the sciences, as can introductory textbooks. The LIS research literature on the information behavior of scientists and engineers is also quite helpful. Read popular books like Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" or Frederick Pohl's "Chasing Science", which are fun and can give you a sense of what it means to love science.
* Experiment with databases and other resources while you're in school & have access to good library databases. Make sure you know how to work them and what the major ones are good for (for instance, Compendex is *the* major engineering database). Ask the librarians if you're not sure or are curious. Reading library subject guides, which are mostly freely online, is a great way to get familiar with the top databases in every field. Make sure you know how to operate all the major interfaces (Ovid, CSA, etc.) -- this is perhaps as important as knowing database contents (and is a question I got at interviews). There's a couple books out there about reference resources in the sciences; these are also worth browsing.
* Ask reference questions. If you're anything like me, I *never* approached librarians before I went to library school -- I always assumed I could figure it out myself (with a little pain and suffering). But regardless of whether this is true, it's important to understand what it feels like to approach a reference desk. Does it make you nervous? Does the librarian make you comfortable, or does s/he give you the brushoff? Are their explanations understandable? Do they explain how to use the library systems or just tell you where to find something? Take notes on all this (at least in your head) -- it will help your own reference skills later. Ask as many questions as you can, in as many situations as you can. Put yourself in situations where you *don't* know how to get the answer, and see if the librarians are helpful.
* Attempt to keep up with technology -- while difficult, as a new librarian you will sometimes be seen as responsible for understanding all the new buzzwordy technologies and internet tools that come out. People are curious about all these new things, and they want to know if you keep up with the field. They may also assume that you "just know" because you're new. Understand context -- know, for instance, that while a wiki and a blog can both be tools for collaboration, they behave and are operated very differently. Work on things you're interested in -- your enthusiasm will show. Know some basic technologies: at a bare minimum, know how to work all office software at a highly proficient level, how to write a basic webpage in HTML, what CSS & Javascript are, what databases are and what database software exists, how the Internet and local networks work (at least on a rough level), and how to work all the functions of all major web browsers (especially IE and Firefox).
* Take cataloging. Then take advanced cataloging. While cataloging is often pretty dry, knowing how to read a MARC record will be absolutely invaluable to you as a reference librarian -- and, of course, essential if you want to be a cataloger! This is the stuff that makes us professionals. Also try and figure out as much as you can about ILS systems. (One of the common topics of conversation among librarians is griping about their ILS and OPACs -- make sure you know what the top ones are, and what yours is if you work in a library). This knowledge comes with time, but it's helpful to come in with a head start. Know what XML is: it will just get more important with time.
* Go to conferences if you can. They're cheaper when you're a student, and it's good to get a sense of what different organizations are really like. They can also be fun!
When I took my current job, one of my fears was I didn't really know what I would be doing all day. I had worked as a reference assistant in an engineering library which was very similar to the library I was going to, but that was only part-time and not a professional level job. I didn't know how I was going to fill the other 30 hours of my week that weren't reference! It turns out that wasn't a problem. Here's what I do all day: