SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson LIS1510 Library and Archives Automation Issues Website management Andy Dawson School of Library, Archive & Information Studies, UCL School of Library, Archive & Information Studies, UCL (University of Malta 2008)

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson What we will be covering today Website: –Management issues –Service issues –Design issues Tools supporting creation and management Site promotion Monitoring usage

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Management issues Intranet vs Internet vs Extranet Management strategies –fit to purpose –alternatives to web Organisational impact The need for control: –Corporate image –Scope & publication policy –Ownership

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Management issues Levels & mechanisms of control –Relation to existing management controls –Routes for feedback and decision making Commitment of resource –Not a “spare time” activity –Importance of maintenance Models for website management –Centralised, Decentralised –Hybrids also possible

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Service issues Interactive websites –Server-side processing CGI scripts & APIs –Client-side processing Javascript Financial transactions –Myths and realities Security –Access restrictions, Hacking, Viruses –Firewalls

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Physical design issues What should we consider? What makes a good page? What makes a bad page? Horses for courses... But general principles still apply

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Key design elements: Content content content! –Accuracy –Topicality –Completeness (vs under construction) Ease of use (see Nielsen) Navigability –Document structures –Page layouts –Page sizes

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Key design elements: Speed of download –Graphic design –Graphic treatment Accessibility/findability Technical compatibility –Browser compatibility –Functional compatibility

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Creation, development and management tools Options for HTML creation –Editors –Templates –Converters –Environments Management and production tools –Validity testers –Browser simulators –Site management tools –Content management systems

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Need for effective management of Content Structure Linkages Currency CMS very valuable but restrictive to structural design & expensive to develop

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Why will users come? “What’s in it for me?” The “Free service” syndrome The value of carrots The importance of word of mouth The “field of dreams” philosophy? Content is King! (really)

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Promoting your site Audience - NB may be more than one! –Core vs noncore –Internal vs external –New vs existing Different strategies - different requirements - different materials?

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Website promotion Promotional opportunities –Electronic and non-electronic media –Use of –Value of professional press Search engines –Submission Value of standard site file –Ranking Keyword selection and placement Keeping on top of differences/changes –Searchenginewatch Importance of citation

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Establishing (and maintaining) links Reciprocal links Webrings Link exchanges Making it easy to –provide a link –create a bookmark Importance of monitoring Searching for links to your site

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson Monitoring access Measurement tools –Public & private counters –Server logs –External logging systems Does access mean success? Fallibility of statistics Registration as a tool to improve data quality

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVE AND INFORMATION STUDIES Andy Dawson That’s it! Well done! Hope you enjoyed it Any questions? Finish off your websites ! Seminar/Social Thursday… Come prepared! Keep in touch: All the very best for your future careers!