Continuing-Ed Opportunities with DrupalWeb Services Librarian Networking GroupJune 7, 2010
Gwyneth StuparReference and Web Services LibrarianNorthbrook Public [email protected] Public Library 2.0:www.facebook.com/NorthbrookPublicLibrarywww.twitter.com/northbrookpl
My gift to you…
10 months Drupal learning rolled into 1 (and gift-wrapped)
Links Slides
Background
No computer science experience Visual Learner Basic Skills:
HTML class with Michael Stephens at Dominican
Colleagues taught Dreamweaver My Work Week:
14 hours per week : Web Services21 hours per week: Reference Librarian
“Go Learn Drupal…” Um, what do I do now?
LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
NEVER ASSUME
You may not see progress right away; continue learninganyway… Drupal is like a Star Trek
Transporter Beam
“Go Learn Drupal…”
Survey Says! Let’s Rate Them
Gwyn’s Drupal Rockstar Rating System
=Worst
=BestRatings are based on
experience gained vs. overall cost.
Doug Vanndougvann.com
I found Doug at: http://groups.drupal.org/libraries
call – 3 hour session Introduction of CCK and Views Drupal Sandbox Chat Transcript with Links Completed Training: July 2009
Lullabotlullabot.com
Drupal Fundamentals Meetings are Virtual: Presentor, Screen, and Chat Sandbox Provided with theme, activity (create a
site for your rockband) Listserv Recordings available Challenges Cost Completed in 6 weeks: Oct. 12, 2009
to Nov. 16, 2009
Learn by the Droplearnbythedrop.com
User-friendly screencasts Demo Listserv:
http://learnbythedrop.com/drop/164 Ongoing
Lynda.comlynda.com
Paid subscription ($25.00/month) Drupal 7 videos are in production Demo of Drupal Video Lynda.com offers a wide variety: Drupal,
Joomla, Wordpress, Javascript
DrupalCamp
Huge turnout Numerous presentations
On June 26 and 27, DrupalCamp will be at the University of Chicago Law School
DrupalJam
The most influential of all learning opportunities
Total free-for-all; ask as many questions as possible
Katherine Lynch, web developer at Drexel Universityhttp://cdmug.org/videos/jam/spring2010/session6http://www.katherinelynch.org/sites/default/files/
a11y_dcsf_DONE.pdf
DrupalCon
Over 100 librarians in the room, most conversed about a librarian-created open source ILS
Large event, with a small-town feel Session by Michelle Lauer about Views arguments is
excellent: http://www.archive.org/details/ViewsExamplesUsingArgumentsAndRelationships
(in fact, I used this to pattern the A-Z eResource list) Great Usability Presentation about a garden project,
“How do you feel when you are in the garden?” http://www.archive.org/details/ShowDontTellGuerillaUsabilityTesting
Computers In Libraries
Sarah Houghton-Jan’s presentation gave concrete advice about her website redesign, such as determining how long the website redesign process will take start to finish, and double it… www.slideshare.net/librarianinblack/cil2010-website-redesign-a-public-library-website-redesign-aka-the-trip-to-hades-back
THE BEST RESOURCES ARE IN THIS
ROOM
By Far…
Behind the scenes at northbrook.info Brief Overview: RFP in September, 6 responses received Conducted phone interviews Cardsorting with Staff and Teen Advisory
Board Chose a consultant at the end of November;
began development early December Web Committee Meetings (bi-monthly) Meetings with assistant director, graphic
designer, myself.
Behind the scenes at northbrook.info Brief Overview: Our graphics designer mocked up
wireframes Agreed on “content areas” that we
wanted Consultants provided excel
spreadsheet to describe whether or not content would be available in new website
Behind the scenes at northbrook.infoStaging site created by March 18Discussion about staging siteHomepage originally featured events; I changed it to show our survey, the director’s blog, and a “News Feature”
Launched May 12
Advice (or, how Gwyn saved you money and time)
Think about the WHOLE project, not just one piece (marketing, usability, editing content for grammar and accuracy)
Perform usability studies in all phases of the project, and it can be fun; it does not have to be elaborate. Create time to analyze and present data.
Advice
Have a style guide in place before you let the website loose to everyone
Make plans for all major landing pages Find a friend who totally supports the
mission Begin thinking about how your website will
play nice with Webfeat, Serials Solutions, eResources, and most importantly, the Catalog
Develop a system for people to track website problems on the onset
Advice: (or Gwyn rambling on more…)
Give yourself time to learn what Drupal can do to solve problems in your organization, then pitch the plan. (Most learning happened after pitching the plan)
Full-TimeLearning is ½ the battle
Roadblocks…
Learning to install Drupal on Linux Not knowing all the possibilities with
Drupal What is the role of the Web Committee? Expectations of what Drupal can do,
what the consultants can do, where they end and we begin, etc.
The Elaborate Diagram of How Drupal Works… and a Meeting Nightmare
The *story*General consensus: “Drupal isn’t as easy as it looks…”
Wisdom: Give yourself time to learn what Drupal can do to solve problems in your organization, then pitch the plan.
“Most People Don’t Want Drupal-
They Just Want What Drupal Does…”-Jeff Robbins, Lullabot
Get People To Think Like DrupalExample: Job PageStatic List of Jobs?Content Form that can sort in different ways, with an RSS feed
Repurpose Modules (domesticat example)
Web Design Projects Aren’t Linear…They Are Explosions. Consider Everything.
We’ll do this…then this…then this…
It’s more like this:
Agree
Agree to support one idea (think deli, not shoe store)
Whether or not to be above the fold
NavigationBlogs or No Blogs? Should EVERYONE do blogs, or only some departments?
Bug Your Colleagues
Leo: Views/Being Afraid of Views
Mick: TagsBrian: Sign-Up ModuleGeneva Public Library: Google Map
John
Original Design
??
Caution
Drupal works for displaying content in different ways and limiting duplication of effort, but you must be consistent for this to work.
Room analogy: you must realize that removing something from one room changes the whole décor of another room.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE
-postsecret.com
“Inherent in every intention and desire are the mechanics for its fulfillment.”-Chopra
Live Demo:http://www.northbrook.info/