I have already opined to my professors at length about the scheduling issues I am having this semester. Between an unwieldy work schedule and a first-time pregnancy I was struggling to complete the homework for both classes in between work travel and naps. I made the decision to drop my IRLS 671 class, and as much as I labored over the decision I now believe wholeheartedly it was the correct choice. I am quite pleased with the progression of the 675 class, I'm sure for some it may seem a little slow, but I like having the opportunity to pore of the materials before setting upon the actual assignment. I feel like this was a luxury we weren't always afforded with the (understandable) pacing of the summer class.
I have mentioned this in previous posts, but I will be transitioning from the role of admissions counselor to support staff for a major software conversion taking place on the University campus in the spring and summer. This is excellent news for several reasons; the most important being that I am currently on the committee submitting a RFP for an additional software package specifically for the admissions office which will work in concert with the Peoplesoft conversion. I have really enjoyed the articles on CMS selection as I am finding a great deal of overlap in my classes and my worklife and admittedly some of the reading have helped shape the format of the RFP and I'm sure will play a role in decision making process as well.
I'm also enjoying the coursework because I feel it supplements a lot of the information covered in my MLS. I find that the readings on more than one occasion have caused me to go into my SIRLS class archives and locate an assignment that forged a connection between the classes. There is always the fear of the mental "bit rot" once your education is finished and I feel like these classes are assisting in keeping my MLS information fresh until such time I can't put my skills to work in a library career.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
IRLS 675 - Week 2
Untangling a tangled web: a case study in choosing and implementing a CMS
Terry L. Hutenlock, Jeff W. Beaird, and Ronald W. Fordham
Library Hi-Tech 2006, Vol. 24. Issue 1. pp. 61-68
I chose this article because while I feel I have gained a pretty good understanding of what CMS’s are I wanted a better understanding as to the processes involved in picking them. I will review the article in detail, but I would make the point that what I found most interesting was that, at the end of the day, the deciding factor for the choice of CMS was compatibility with the library’s database system. It’s interesting that features which would initially seem important; like design, ease of use, and scalability ended up playing a secondary role to the need to have the system communicate with existing library systems. I admire the fact that the small library both recognized the need for website and then further on realized the role the website can play in bringing the library to their community. It was when the power of the site was realized that library administrator's were forced to take a closer look at their current web m.o. "the web site started out merely as static pages connected to the larger institutional site, containing basic information about the library." The library committee developed a formal rubric with which to compare CMS providers. The initial concerns were of course; open source (for budget purposes), well established, well supported product, easy to install, and easy data migration.
After much evaluation a lot of the systems turned out to be fairly similar and it was with this revelation that a system, that had been previously disregarded as too difficult to install, became the front runner. The reason for the switch? The data migration would be the easiest. A lot of the other CMS platforms did not support the library's MyLibrary database. There were quite a few issues with the installation (some expected, some not) and later the upgrade, however the author surmises that the difficulties were worth the effort as measured by their satisfaction with the product. As a matter of fact the 2004 system upgrade was so seamless that the librarians at the University were accused of having done "nothing over the summer."
The lessons I take from this article are very similar to lesson learned in my "Decision making for Information Professionals" class, in that the actions that led to a positive experience for this library were the decision to;
-Pull input from all representatives of the library staff
-Formulate an initial list of desires
-Formulate an official agreed upon rubric
-Test products against the rubric
-Reassess list of desires
-Ensure the product is well supported
There is a great deal of about the importance of flexibility in library administration. The library committee's willingness to remain flexible in the pursuit of the most appropriate software and the ensuing install and updgrades resulted in the success of this CMS selection.
Terry L. Hutenlock, Jeff W. Beaird, and Ronald W. Fordham
Library Hi-Tech 2006, Vol. 24. Issue 1. pp. 61-68
I chose this article because while I feel I have gained a pretty good understanding of what CMS’s are I wanted a better understanding as to the processes involved in picking them. I will review the article in detail, but I would make the point that what I found most interesting was that, at the end of the day, the deciding factor for the choice of CMS was compatibility with the library’s database system. It’s interesting that features which would initially seem important; like design, ease of use, and scalability ended up playing a secondary role to the need to have the system communicate with existing library systems. I admire the fact that the small library both recognized the need for website and then further on realized the role the website can play in bringing the library to their community. It was when the power of the site was realized that library administrator's were forced to take a closer look at their current web m.o. "the web site started out merely as static pages connected to the larger institutional site, containing basic information about the library." The library committee developed a formal rubric with which to compare CMS providers. The initial concerns were of course; open source (for budget purposes), well established, well supported product, easy to install, and easy data migration.
After much evaluation a lot of the systems turned out to be fairly similar and it was with this revelation that a system, that had been previously disregarded as too difficult to install, became the front runner. The reason for the switch? The data migration would be the easiest. A lot of the other CMS platforms did not support the library's MyLibrary database. There were quite a few issues with the installation (some expected, some not) and later the upgrade, however the author surmises that the difficulties were worth the effort as measured by their satisfaction with the product. As a matter of fact the 2004 system upgrade was so seamless that the librarians at the University were accused of having done "nothing over the summer."
The lessons I take from this article are very similar to lesson learned in my "Decision making for Information Professionals" class, in that the actions that led to a positive experience for this library were the decision to;
-Pull input from all representatives of the library staff
-Formulate an initial list of desires
-Formulate an official agreed upon rubric
-Test products against the rubric
-Reassess list of desires
-Ensure the product is well supported
There is a great deal of about the importance of flexibility in library administration. The library committee's willingness to remain flexible in the pursuit of the most appropriate software and the ensuing install and updgrades resulted in the success of this CMS selection.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
My collection
I worked for a used bookstore throughout my undergraduate career. I had always been a reader but my actual passion for reading developed through a love affair with the writings of Kurt Vonnegut. I understand that this is not an unusual passion for an undergraduate student (or bookstore employee) to have but I still feel this would the perfect subject for my collection. School, employment, and life in general has prevented me from getting reaquainted for Mr. Vonnegut for a number of years so I feel as though it will add special meaning to the project. Lucky for me Kurt was not only an author, but also a lecturer, artist, essayist, and incredibly photogenic. That being said my collection consists of;
5 pictures of Vonnegut
5 images of Vonnegut artwork
3 artist renderings of Vonnegut
An interview with Vonnegut
An interview with Vonnegut's son
and 5 images of the book jackets of Vonneguts work
I enjoyed Shirky's essay on ontology. I feel like this whole notion sort of falls in line with the "bookstore organization" debate of libraries. It comes down to the fundamental question of "for whom do we classify?" Access is an important issue but so in consistency - additionally classifications schemes need to be fluid and allow for growth ...what is the junction between organization and modernization?
5 pictures of Vonnegut
5 images of Vonnegut artwork
3 artist renderings of Vonnegut
An interview with Vonnegut
An interview with Vonnegut's son
and 5 images of the book jackets of Vonneguts work
I enjoyed Shirky's essay on ontology. I feel like this whole notion sort of falls in line with the "bookstore organization" debate of libraries. It comes down to the fundamental question of "for whom do we classify?" Access is an important issue but so in consistency - additionally classifications schemes need to be fluid and allow for growth ...what is the junction between organization and modernization?
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