Jennifer HeiseDrew University Library

http://users.drew.edu/jheise/CIL2012.ppt

Or…How we made a multifunctional web

presenceUsing what our campus techs hadWithout loading our own softwareWithout much coding expertiseAnd without going crazy (much)Using iterative user-centered design

(though we did violate some design guidelines)

Drew University Library3 colleges:

- College of Liberal Arts– undergraduate- Theological School – Methodist Seminary- Caspersen School – eclectic graduate programs

- Student FTE 2200- Heavy undergraduate support focus- Extensive special collections, esp. Methodist- Staff includes

- 5.5 Reference Librarians- Part time Webmanager- Part time E-Resources Manager- Systems (ILS) Librarian

Drew Library Web InfrastructureMain pages in Wordpress (institution-wide

CMS)Course guides, subject guides, policies and

finding aids in Confluence (enterprise-wide wiki system)

Library Catalog in SIRSI Web 2Reference Chat in LibraryH3lpDelicious web link managementJust added: ILLiad, LibraryAnywhere

Web DevelopmentSimple layoutIterative design

Card sortsWire frame layouts

Yearly user observation testing Standard 12-15 questions4-6 subjectsConducted by pairs of library staff

Must be intuitive to edit/create pages

Usability TargetsBooks by subjectJournal holdings by dateScholarly articles by subjectFind ejournals by issueAsk a librarian a question onlineUse an online reference book Find out library hoursContact reference subject specialistCheck patron recordInter-Library Loan RequestFind a mapContact for a special collectionGeneaological information/helpLocate an advanced subject databaseGeneral comments or suggestions?

Wordpress CMSOpen SourceInstitution-wide look and feel frameVery helpful campus webteamAuto-generated menusCustom post types for

Electronic resourcesWeb links

Formidable Forms pluginOnline user forms (acq, ref, ILL)Reference Statistics collection

Wordpress 3.3 (latest)Library has its own subspace in Wordpress

Need help putting widgets/javascript on pagesLocal customization includes

Custom Post Types for libraryiframes (to show external content, widgets)“Aside” sidebars & Tabs

http://www.drew.edu/wp-guide/Custom search across both sitesFormidable Forms

Research Resources page

Formidable Forms PluginCustomizeable formsSend email and/or keep in databaseCustom messagesConditional fieldsPre-fillable fieldsReports available

Example: Formidable Form

E-Resources & Web LinksSeparate custom post types

CustomPostType UI Plugin makes it easy to create these

“Resource Type” Subject Category TaxonomyEach “Resource Type” = separate web page.Entry has Title, Blurb (‘text’), and Redirect

URL.Choosing multiple “Resource Type”

Categories puts resource on those pages.Full Title list also generated

Can copy ‘shorten’ URLS for resource

Managing the list:

Editing E-Resource Entry

ConfluenceWiki application with access/editing control

levelsLimitable access/editing at multiple levelsSimple editing, image & pdf attachmentSearchableClean printoutsAutolinking & menuingMacros such as Table of contents, sortable

tables

Example: Course Guides ListingAuto-updated when a guide is added

Example: Archival Finding Aid

Example: Policies

SIRSI Web2Extensive Customization (spring 2011)Primarily Web2 Macros and some JavascriptNo interactive real-time API scripts runningStatic pages generated regularly by API

Reserve listsNew BooksSpecial collections

Dedicated Systems Librarian Guy Dobson- gdobson@drew.edu

E-Resource Management ToolsEzproxy for Remote user proxyingSerials Solutions (ERMS)

Generates A-Z listURL linker

Citation Manager & A-Z list incorporated in Wordpress via iframe

LibraryH3lpEmbeddable live chat windows Replaced MeeboMeFeatures

QueuesTransferAudible Beepemail of transcriptreports, statistics

Software open source; We pay for hosted service Embedded in several entrance pages

Main page, Research Resources, Ask a Librarian pages Inside Ebsco Databases Inside SIRSI catalog

LibraryH3lp

DeliciousUsed to manage web links

All subject librarians used same accountStandardized subject tag names

Tag-based RSS feed Widgets incorporated to subject pages

Mostly dropped nowChanges to Delicious – removal of support for

widgetsWeb links were converted to specialized

Wordpress post type.Delicious feeds still used on Alumni link

pages, with ‘tabs’ code in Wordpress

MoodleOpen Source Learning Management systemOnline library instruction module

Content organized in “Book” Assessments using Quizzes

Linked to sections of First Year Survey

Campus-wide surveys in Moodle’s survey tool

Library Instruction Module

Library Survey & Results

Additional ServicesPDF files served from departmental web

spaceGoogle Analytics for statsTwitter

mostly to reach other campus departments & University Communications

New:LibraryAnywhere (mobile) – contract awardILLiad (formerly used CLIO)

Development office for Online Giving service

We did it Our students/staff find it intutive Staff involved/invested in the design Nobody had to get nailed anything. About time for another round of iteration!

Jennifer Heisejheise@drew.edu