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There are open source solutions created by librarians: SubjectsPlus and Library a la Carte. On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 2:38 PM, Cornel Darden Jr. <[log in to unmask] > wrote: > Hello? > > Soringshre's link-rot tool has gotten much better. Even at alerting admins > about broken links. I think $999 a year for the basic package is worth it > since most librarians aren't coders like we 'ALL' should be! Maybe an open > source solution created by librarians is needed. However database > management will still require librarians to pick up those skills like SQL > that we too often think isn't or shouldn't be a skill that a librarian must > have. It's the 21st century!!!! > > Thanks, > > Cornel Darden Jr. > MSLIS > Librarian > Kennedy-King College > City Colleges of Chicago > Work 773-602-5449 > Cell 708-705-2945 > > > On Aug 11, 2013, at 11:21 AM, Robert Sebek <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > >> On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 9:54 AM, Heather Rayl <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> > >> I have to say that I loathe LibGuides. My library makes extensive use of > >> them, too. Need a web solution? The first thing out of someone's mouth > is > >> "Let's put it in a LibGuide!" > >> > >> Shudder > >> > >> This fall, I'll be moving our main site over to Drupal, and I'm hoping > that > >> eventually I can convince people to re-invent their LibGuides there. I > can > >> use the "saving money" card, and the "content silos are bad" card and > >> *maybe* I will be successful. > >> > >> Anyone fought this particular battle before? > >> > >> ~heather > >> > >> I'm fighting that battle right now. We have an excellent CMS into which > I > > have set up all our database URLs, descriptions, etc.Anytime we need to > > refer to a database on a page, we use one of those entries. That database > > just changed platforms? No problem. I change the URL in one place and > > everything automatically updates (hooray CMSs!). > > > > All of our subject guides (http://www.lib.vt.edu/subject-guides/) are in > > the CMS using the exact same database entries. I converted from our > > failing, home-grown system into the CMS and then gave training on how to > > maintain from there (remove an entry, add an entry, create a parallel > > course guide)--using the same skills as maintaining any other web page > that > > librarian is responsible for. But apparently that's too hard. > > > > So we have a trial of LibGuides. NO ONE here has created a guide from > > scratch yet, but they all say this is going to be easy. No one will > admit > > that someone will have to recreate all those database entries (literally > > hundreds) and then maintain those entries. When presented with this, > > several librarians said--oh that won't be necessary, we'll just create > > individual entries as needed on individual guides. WHAT?! > > > > If implemented, we'll have hundreds and hundreds of entries, any of which > > could be out of date and nonfunctional, with no easy way to find and fix, > > other than waiting for patrons to complain that the link doesn't work. > Ugh. > > All for several thousand dollar a year (as opposed for free in the CMS). > > > > And yes, those librarians' favorite example libguides have a dozen tabs > > with hundreds of links on each tab. Overwhelm the patron with links--who > > cares! Just let me recreate the Yahoo Directory I so miss with every > > possible resource I can find online. Half those links don't work next > > semester? Doesn't matter, as no one will ever maintain that page again > (and > > no patron will use it, since they will just Google these resources > anyway). > > > > > > > > -- > > Robert Sebek > > Webmaster, Virginia Tech Libraries > > (http://www.lib.vt.edu/) > -- Andrew Darby Head, Web & Emerging Technologies University of Miami Libraries