The Ektron Content Management System Campuswide and Librarywide

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The Ektron Content Management System Campuswide
and Librarywide

• KLA/KSMA Fall Conference
• September 28, 2006
• Ray Bailey Morehead State University
• Tom Kmetz Morehead State University

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What is a CMS?

• A Web Content Management System is a type of
  Content management system software used for
  managing websites.
• The software manages content (text, graphics,
  links, etc.) for distribution on a web server.
  Usually the software provides tools where users
  with little or no knowledge of programming
  languages and markup languages (such as HTML) can
  create and manage content with relative ease of
  use. Most systems use a database to hold content,
  and a presentation layer displays the content to
  regular website visitors based on a set of
  templates. Management of the software is
  typically done through a web browser, but some
  systems may be modified in other ways.
• The market for content management systems
  remains fragmented, with many open-source and
  proprietary solutions available.
• from Wikipedia

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Pros Cons

• Templates impose standards and eliminate the need
  to police minutiae.
• WYSIWYG editor allows people with no HTML
  experience to maintain web content.
• Maintenance tasks can be distributed across the
  library and reside where they logically belong.
• The file structure for the entire campus is easy
  for web authors to navigate.
• Web authors can do their work at any location on
  any PC with Internet Explorer.
• The system includes calendars.
• Forms can be created with relative ease results
  stored as a database.

• Reliant on commercial systems (Microsoft) no
  warm fuzzy feeling that comes with open-source
  purity.
• Annual fees have to be absorbed by either the
  library or the institution.
• Dependent on a single vendor (Ektron).
• Increasing the complexity of the technology also
  increases the risk of more frequent technical
  failures.
• Limits the freedom of web authors who know a
  great deal about web design.

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Current Trend
The cost to purchase a commercial WCMS
application is beyond the reach of the majority
of libraries. Building an in-house system or
application using open source technology is
becoming a trend (Yu, 2005). Quoting Bailey and
Kmetz So Yu (2005) is correct about the trend
of home-grown and open source systems. But this
trend could easily be reversed in the future,
after the CMS vendors have picked over the
low-hanging fruit of large corporate customers
and begin to perceive academia as a viable
market. If they tailor their systems and their
pricing to the needs of academic institutions,
then it is likely that home-grown systems in
academic libraries will be swept away just as
completely as home-grown OPACs have been. It
would be the rare library that would desire,
insist on, or be allowed autonomy in the face of
a campus-wide implementation.
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Learn About Commercial CMS Products
CMS Watch http//www.cmswatch.com/ CMS
Matrix http//www.cmsmatrix.org/ CMS
Directory http//content-management-directory.com/

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Ektron relies on Microsoft

• Underlying Technology Active Server Pages (ASP)
  on a Microsoft SQL Server.
• Web authors must use Internet Explorer. It wont
  work properly with Netscape or Firefox.

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Shift that Paradigm!

• Things that are strange
• There are no longer any HTML files to store or to
  back-up. Everything happens on the server. The
  server is backed up at the campus level.
• You cannot control the look and the feel of your
  pages to any great degree.
• The templates prevent you from doing things.
• You have to organize and name files for an
  internal audience, i.e., all web authors on
  campus.
• The system stores a complete history of each
  content block so reversions to earlier drafts are
  very easy.
• Things could be even more strange
• Approval chains were not implemented, but the
  potential is there.

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Campus-wide Implementation

• A strategic budget request was funded by the
  University Planning Committee (2003).
• A work-group was formed to select the vendor (a
  librarian participates).
• MSU was Ektrons first sizable and campus-wide
  academic customer. So we were very much a beta
  test site.
• The responsibility for the universitys web site
  was transferred from the Office of Information
  Technology to University Marketing Office.
• Web Content Architect
• Web Marketing Director
• Graphic Designer
• A five-page Web Publishing Policy was drafted and
  approved.
• Implementation.

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The Old System

• One primary maintainer
• Traditional HTML files
• File Manager type uploading system (no FTP)

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The Old Site
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EKTRON (University-Wide Decision---Spring 2005)
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Getting Trained

• Campus-wide training sessions
• On-line documentation
• Frequent phone calls

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Re-thinking Everything

• Re-design of Library Home Page, as well as entire
  website layout and structure
• Online Services Committee Home Page
  Subcommittee
• Trying to do it better
• Be logical
• Avoid jargon
• See things through patrons eyes

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The New Site
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Training Library Staff

• Deciding who does what
• Developing standards/procedures/manuals
• Setting up training sessions
• Follow-up as needed

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Main Training Concepts

• Overcoming personal barriers -- paradigm shift
  (there, I said it)
• Chance to re-organize and improve
• Downloading the new editor software
• WYSIWYG-S
• Migrating old pages to new content blocks
  (using copy-n-paste)
• Deadlines

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The Big Day(February 07, 2005)
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The Re-launch(March 07, 2005)
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The Crash

• Why?
• Plan B
• Approximately 7 months to resolve
• Went live again in Fall 2005

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How it is Now The Editor
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The Work Area
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What I Like About the CMS

• Diversity of maintainers/ideas
• Easier editing and saving
• Editing from anywhere
• Standardized look and feel
• Can restore old version of page
• Increased use of Calendars
• Improved/enhanced capability of using online forms

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Whats Not So Great

• The huge header
• Diversity of maintainers/ideas
• Single file uploading
• Lack of a link checker
• Less creativity at times
• Dependency on central maintainers
• Reduced ability to do some complex, high-end
  tasks

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Get This Presentation

• www.moreheadstate.edu/files/library/CMS.ppt

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Questions? Comments? Snide Remarks?