LibraryThing

A super cool and neat website for lovers of books.

I will now attempt to embed a widget that will show the covers of the books in my library.

Here goes nothin:

Final Project-Paper

Christopher Nylund

Micah Newsome

Content management systems (CMS) are software packages that assist in the creation of web sites. These CMS function by separating the visual framework of a web page from the content that these web pages are built to display (McDermott, 2008). This frees the designer from the need to constantly revamp the appearance of each page every time a change is made to the content, or a new content page is created. CMS also allow users to add functionality to their websites through the use of plug-ins. There are several advantages to CMS over manual web page creation, including reduced cost, lower technical barriers, greater automation, and general ease of use.

Several open source CMS are available for free use under General Public License, which of course offers significant savings over keeping a web administrator on staff to make continual changes to the website. Though there are still costs associated with maintaining a server to host the website, or paying for professional hosting services, the savings are considerable. In addition, hiring a web designer is optional with CMS. Custom designed websites can start at over $2,000 for a simple blog, and move up from there with increased functionality. With an open source CMS, the initial set-up is free, plug-ins can be added for free, or cheaply, and a redesign of the website can be as simple as selecting a new template.

CMS is also much easier than custom web design. The amount of technical knowledge required for the latter is considerable, while nearly anyone can implement a CMS website with the help of the many tutorials available for each program. This makes it possible for smaller library systems which don’t have staff with the necessary technical knowledge to create their own websites. Additionally, multiple users can make changes to the site without having to go through a programmer. However, because CMS are open source, a highly skilled individual can tailor the CMS to the library’s needs.

CMS also provides the ability to automate certain elements of a library’s website, so that updates can occur without the need for an administrator to manually make changes. Where changes to an HTML web page require a manual update, through the use of plug-ins and RSS feeds a CMS can update pages in real time.

CMS also simplifies other elements of maintaining a website. When manual changes are required, an administrator can simply update the content file in a database, and the website will immediately reflect the change. CMS are largely social software, so they make it very easy to implement Web 2.0 elements that are very much a focus in libraries today. CMS also make it easy to maintain a consistent look between web pages. Additionally, a CMS website can start off as a simple blog and then grow into a complex and highly customized website without having to change the basic platform, due to the availability of extensions and the open source nature of the software.

All of this, however, is not to suggest that there are not some downsides to making use of a CMS. If one simply makes use of a basic CMS package and employs a standard design template, one will be left with a very generic website. Since branding is important for libraries, this can be less than helpful. There is certainly a learning curve with CMS, and any staff that begins making use of one will invest significant time and effort into creating a website. Creating automatically updated features such as RSS feeds to external websites can also be problematic, since this removes the opportunity to edit or approve content that might appear on your page.

In order to demonstrate some the advantages and limitations of CMS, we will examine several examples of this software. We will briefly discuss Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress, as well as looking at various projects executed using these platforms.

According to its website, Joomla is the most popular website software available (http://www.joomla.org/about-joomla.html). It offers many features including newsfeed and syndication management, polls, search functions, and multimedia management. A library of over five thousand extensions greatly extends the functionality of the platform. These extensions cover a variety of categories, including security, communication, and calendars.

When the DeKalb County Public Library (http://www.dekalblibrary.org/) decided to redesign their website using a CMS, they evaluated several different software packages. They found several that were comparable in terms of features and available extensions, but decided on Joomla due to the availability of an online events calendar. Their website features search functions for both the website and the OPAC, support for RSS feeds, an online donations function, and more. However, when it came to supporting the library’s blog, the library decided that Joomla was poorly suited to the task, and elected to use WordPress instead.

Another example of a project constructed using Joomla is DISCUS (http://scdiscus.org/), an online virtual library provided by the State Library of South Carolina. DISCUS provides access to a variety of reference databases, as well as magazines and newspapers. The DISCUS website provides a portal through which users can simultaneously search dozens of databases. Searches can be narrowed by subject, or the grade level of the searcher.

One can see that a library, whether traditional or virtual, can support a variety of functions using Joomla. Joomla, however, does have limitations. It is not very well-suited to blogging, and as Jimmy Lo (personal communication, June 7, 2010) from DeKalb County Public Library states, the learning curve is “pretty steep at first. It is simple to build a Joomla website, if you didn't care about how it worked or looked. But if you have a very specific thing in mind, it is sometimes very hard to get it to do what you want.” However, once the technology has been mastered, a crisp, professional website can be produced that functions as a search portal, an outreach tool, a community feedback source, or even a revenue stream.

WordPress is another open source CMS that is available for free public use. It provides many of the same functions as Joomla, but there are some definite differences. Where Joomla is poorly suited to blogging functions, WordPress is particularly focused on that activity. This is not to say that a WordPress website cannot be more than a blog, it is simply that this is the default setup. WordPress, like Joomla, has a host of plug-ins available (nearly ten thousand) which can be used to greatly increase functionality. Additionally, a skilled web designer can drastically repurpose WordPress to fulfill a variety of needs.

An example of a fairly standard use of WordPress is the Dartmouth Public Libraries website (http://www.dartmouthpubliclibraries.org/). The main page consists of a blog, with tabs at the top leading to static pages, and section on the side containing events feeds and other widgets. In contrast, the Elmhurst College library website (http://library.elmhurst.edu/) bears no real resemblance to a blog. There are links across the top of the page, an IM window for live online reference, and a list of custom pages for different courses.

In addition to providing a platform for blogs or standard websites, WordPress can be repurposed to serve more specialized functions. For example, a University of West Florida project involved editing the open source code in order to create a digital image library celebrating its fortieth anniversary (http://librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/anniversary/). By editing the WordPress source code, the creators were able to customize the metadata functions. WordPress’s native functions and plug-ins made it possible to include comments on the images (Uzwyshyn, 2008).

In a more drastic example of repurposing WordPress, the Digital Forsyth project (http://www.digitalforsyth.org/) elected to use the software to create an interface for a digital library of images hosted by several different institutions. Despite some issues in reconciling metadata formats with WordPress requirements, the creators found WordPress to be very helpful due to its native support for metadata fields and embedded social tools (Mitchell & Gilbertson, 2008).

WordPress can make it very easy to create a generic, blog-focused website for an institution with limited resources and expertise. However, in order to create a more customized product with greater functionality one needs a great deal of technical expertise. For those with that expertise, WordPress can be tailored to fulfill a variety of needs far removed from simple blogging.

Drupal.org states that Drupal is “”more than software—it is a project and a community.” This sense of community has helped Drupal become a popular CMS in the library community. This popularity stems from Drupal’s functionality, which extends far beyond static and blog content hosting, to include a plethora of add-ons, which Drupal refers to as modules. These modules increase the flexibility and ultimately the overall appeal of the software by creating a much more engaging website. Libraries that use Drupal can manage wikis, blogs, and forums— all from the main website. While most would admit there is a steep learning curve, the Drupal community has set up a “Libraries that use Drupal”(http://groups.drupal.org/node/1845/libraries) forum to support the free-flow exchange of ideas and support. There is a Drupal Libraries roster with a host of resources for these libraries, including: How-tos, Modules, Presentations, Service Providers, Snippets, and Websites and Blogs. The list of Libraries is growing, which speaks volumes on two fronts: there are more and more libraries using Drupal and there is a vibrant and supportive community to help combat the steep learning curve that Drupal creates.

When Andrea Peterson, Head of Library IT at Western Washington University, was looking for a CMS to use at her university, she finally decided on Drupal because of this versatility. The two websites that were produced with this CMS, Viking Village (http://vikingvillage.wwu.edu/) and the Western Washington University Library’s homepage (http://www.library.wwu.edu/), are shining examples of Web 2.0 technology. Viking Village allows users to create and post profiles and forums, there are polls regarding online services that provide immediate feedback, video posts, blogs—all of which create the participatory atmosphere that modern websites must maintain to remain viable.

With everything that Drupal has to offer and all of the potential uses for libraries, some may ask, why hasn’t every library adopted this CMS? While this is a complex question requires a complex answer, one of the main problems with Drupal is its steep learning curve, especially on the web design side. That being said, Farkas (2008) recommends outsourcing the design of the website to an individual or a company. Once the design of the site is out of the way, either by an in-house web designer or an outsourced individual company, the management of the website is pretty straightforward, thanks in no small part to the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that is installed within Drupal.

CMS software has become popular for several reasons. First off, for little or no money, a professional website can be created and maintained without the help of a web designer. This is achieved because the content of the website is separated from the look of the website, giving the average computer user (or more importantly, a librarian) the ability to create and maintain a website on their own. By taking most (if not all) of the html code-writing out of the hands of the user, the user can then concentrate on the content of the page. This is especially crucial to libraries and librarians because the main function of a library is to acquire, store, retrieve, index and present information of all types. By providing a means to do this on the Web, Content Management Systems free up much of the technical side, thus allowing libraries and librarians to focus on the content of their website and reach out to more users via the World Wide Web. Furthermore, because many of these Content Management systems are Open-Source, the format can be tailored to the specific needs of the library’s website. Essentially, the possibilities are endless. The key to success is staying informed and making the choice that is best for your library. Drupal may do wonders for one library but the learning curve may be too steep for a small library with limited resources to implement, in which case, Wordpress or Joomla may be better suited for that libraries needs. Implementing a CMS must be an informed decision based on thorough research in order of the choice to be an effective and valid one. This choice should be made based on the needs of the library and the skill set and resources of the staff of the library. This process, however time-consuming it may be, is a necessary one that needs to occur in order to keep the library more visible in the online community, which in turn will bring more people to the library, making it a vital part of its community.

References

Buytaert, D. (2010). Drupal. Retrieved from http://drupal.org/

Farkas, M. (2008). CMS for next-gen websites. American Libraries, 39(10), 36. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Koenig, J., Knaddison, G., & Weitzman, M. (2006, May 5). Drupal libraries. Retrieved from http://groups.drupal.org/node/1845/libraries

McDermott, I. (2008). Joomla! Looms. Searcher, 16(5), 8-13. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Mitchell, E., & Gilbertson, K. (2008). Using open source social software as digital library interface. D-Lib Magazine, 14(3). doi:10.1045

Peterson, A. (2010). Viking village. Retrieved from http://vikingvillage.wwu.edu/home

Peterson, A. (2010). Western libraries: Western Washington University. Retrieved from http://www.library.wwu.edu/

Uzwyshyn, R. (2008). Repurposing open source software for agile digital image library development: the University of West Florida Libraries model. D-Lib Magazine, 14(9) doi:10.1045

Websites

http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/06/how_much_should_a_design_cost.php

http://scdiscus.org/

http://www.dekalblibrary.org/

http://wordpress.org/

http://www.dartmouthpubliclibraries.org/

http://library.elmhurst.edu/

http://librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/anniversary/

http://www.digitalforsyth.org/

http://www.joomla.org/about-joomla.html

Final Project

Here's my first slidescast and my final project that Micah and I put together the information for on CMS in libraries:

Content Management Systems in Libraries

View more presentations from Chris.

Assignment 3: How I managed to make a Podcast and embed it in Blogger

The podcast of my interview with Ms. Andrea Peterson, Head of Library IT at Western Washington University, should be playing right now because it is embedded in this post. Ms. Peterson's discussion of Content Management Systems centered around Drupal because that is the CMS that she uses at WWU. Her explanations helped further my understanding of how Drupal works and why it is so popular. I would also like to add that she freely admitted that the learning curve for Drupal was quite steep, even for someone like herself with a strong background in html, web design and technology.

As Head of Library IT at WWU, Ms. Peterson is responsible for both the Viking Village and Western Washington University Library's websites. I was really impressed with the successful integration of several Web 2.0 concepts on both sites and totally blown away by the interaction that the students are able to experience when they visit these sites. There are online study sessions, embedded links to facebook and twitter, student profiles/blogs, embedded videos, online discussion boards that deal with both library and non-library issues, online polls, and the list goes on.

Many thanks to Ms. Peterson for donating her time and expertise to a complete stranger on the East Coast.

Here's a brief overview of the adventure that I experienced as I attempted to embed my first podcast.

After finally securing a candidate to interview, I decided to perform a little experiment with my cell phone and Garageband. I conducted the interview with Ms. Peterson via speakerphone, recording the conversation onto my Macbook with Garageband. From an audio perspective, it's not the best thing ever, but then again, most podcasts are not. I cleaned up the audio as best as I could using Garageband and then I converted the file itself to mp3 format.

That was the easy part. As you may or may not already know, Blogger does not have a feature that allows you to embed audio. At the recommendation of Ms. Peterson, I attempted to use odeo to "publish" my podcast, only to discover that the site was down for construction. I then setup an account with podcast alley but quickly ran into problems. I did some more digging and discovered that I could upload my file to box.net and post a link to the site. While this worked just fine, I wanted to see if I could embed the mp3 in the blog post itself. I discoverededublogs.tv, which functions much like youtube but also allows you to upload audio. Once the audio was uploaded, I simply copy and pasted the "embedded code" into my blog posting.

Chris vs. Wordpress (Assignment 2 part two)

Now that the dust has settled I have time to reflect on the collective efforts of Team 8 and how attempted to help but was usually helped by my fellow team mates.

I entered this assignment with more than a pinch of trepidation. I've tangled with Wordpress before and all that I managed to do with any degree of success was mangle a page, waste a lot of time and give myself a headache.

This experience wasn't much better but I can say that I'm much more comfortable with it now.

Establishing my own page became quite a task but after two unsuccessful attempts to publish, I managed to create a bio page with a picture!

My next step was attempting to post a comment. While these seems easy enough, I was having some difficulty figuring out how to do this. There was much rejoicing after I finally figured out that I had to view the "Team 8" page to read and reply to comments.

My next conquest was adding a link to our "blogroll" and messing around with the widgets of our site. After much deliberation, I decided to leave our theme alone. It was clearly the best choice, made even more apparent when we discovered that several other groups used the same theme.

This experience has definitely forced me to revisit my initial misgivings regarding Wordpress and I have already started re-working the first page that I began and gave up on six months ago. Look for a link my new and improved site real soon.

The battle of the Wordpress (Assignment 2 part one)

This has been a knock down drag out battle but I definitely feel like I've accomplished something with Wordpress today.
Here's the list of the things that I learned today, in no particular order:

I discovered that I really dig the "Hello Dolly" plug-in and enjoy Wordpress even less when she is not activated.
I finally found and added to the links section of our site.
I attempted to use the "custom fields" feature.
Messing around with widgets can be fun and productive.

Yay!

Wikis

I'm still trying to wrap my feeble little brain around this wiki business, but I think I've found a wiki that will work for the media center at the high school that I (as of this afternoon) used to work at.

Population served: Approximately 800 high school students at a Title I school in Middle Georgia.

Library Type: Media Center

Budget: Nonexistent

Goal: To make the Media Center more useful and market its usefulness to students and faculty.

My choice: Clearspace.

Here's the specs on the wiki:

Much more than just an application wiki, Clearspace makes collaborating across teams, departments, even with customers easy, fast and a powerful way to refine ideas and remain productive. Clearspace is a single application that unifies lots of content types like wiki-documents, blog, discussions, instant messaging, rss, email integration, files (and a lot more) into spaces organized by topic vs being just another, bolted-on point solution. Even more, Clearspace provides easy workflow, file management and heavy-duty enterprise J2EE software with clustering, permissions, moderation, and is completely developer-source so you own full access to the code to easily integrate it into your current environment. Find out why Clearspace has quickly made Jive Software “the most important tech company you’ve never heard of.”

Based on the description from the website, this would be a great resource for cross curriculum planning among teachers as well as an excellent resource for students within the same class. Social Studies teachers that are covering Ancient Rome would be able to find and make a connection with World Literature teachers that are covering Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Students within the same class could be assigned group discussion topics and be personally responsible for posting on this discussions.