Why can't it be both? Just because the library has its own Web server
(something I would never, ever give up, mostly for Michael's reason #5),
that doesn't mean some of the library's content can't be part of the main
institutional Web site. That's what we do here. All of the relatively
static content--policies, guidelines, "About Us" type information,
etc.--lives on the College's Web site, as does content that benefits from
being able to draw on other College systems -- e.g., the library staff
directory and calendar of events. However, we still run a couple of
"specialized library CMSs" on our own Web server for content types that
benefit from special handling: Archon for our archival collections, and
SubjectsPlus for our subject and course guides. As much as is practical I
try to keep a relatively consistent look and feel across all three systems
(as well as the library catalog, our public-facing Serials Solutions pages,
the IR, etc.), so patrons think of the whole ball of wax as "the library
web site" no matter which specific system they're really using.

Julia


*********************************************

Julia Bauder

Social Studies and Data Services Librarian

Grinnell College Libraries

1111 Sixth Ave.

Grinnell, IA 50112



641-269-4431



On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 8:21 AM, Joshua Welker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Does anyone have any suggestions as to where the library should or should
> not compromise when it comes to using an institutional CMS rather than a
> custom library one? We are going through this process right now. Our web
> pages are currently all in static HTML and LibGuides. I am wanting to move
> to Drupal, and campus IT wants us to move to their Adobe Contribute
> platform. AFAIK, Contribute does not allow for any server-side scripting
> and does not have any sort of plugin system, and I am very concerned that
> Contribute would harm the library's ability to effectively integrate its
> online resources into a single web portal (server-side caching, indexes,
> scheduled tasks, etc).
>
> I know the answer to this question is "it depends," but I am hoping others
> can share the fruits of their experience.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Josh Welker
> Information Technology Librarian
> James C. Kirkpatrick Library
> University of Central Missouri
> Warrensburg, MO 64093
> JCKL 2260
> 660.543.8022
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Jimmy Ghaphery
> Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 5:49 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] LibGuides: I don't get it
>
> I have followed this thread with great interest. In 2011 Erin White and I
> researched many of the issues the group has been hitting on, demonstrating
> the popularity of LibGuides in ARL libraries, the locus of control outside
> of systems' departments, and the state of content policies.[1]
>
> Our most challenging statement in the article to the library tech
> community (which was watered down a bit in the peer review process) was
> "The popularity of LibGuides, at its heart a specialized content
> management system, also calls into question the vitality and/or
> adaptability of local content management system implementations in
> libraries."
>
> One of the biggest challenges I see toward creating a non-commercial
> alternative is that the library code community is so dispersed in the
> various institutions that it makes it difficult to get away from the
> download tar.gz model. Are our institutions ready to collaborate across
> themselves such that there could be a shared SaaS model (of anything
> really) that libraries could subscribe/contribute to? The barriers here
> certainly aren't technological, but more along the lines of policy,
> governance, etc.
>
> As for Research Guides in general, I see a very clear divide in the
> public/tech communities not only on platform but more philosophical. From
> the tech side once it is all boiled down, heck why do you even need a
> third party system; catalog the databases with some type of local genres
> and push out an api/xml feeds to various disciplines. From the public side
> there is a long lineage of individually curated guides that goes to the
> core of value of professionally knowing one's community and serving it.
>
> [1] https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/1830
>
> best,
>
> Jimmy
>
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 11:13 AM, Galen Charlton <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 6:53 AM, Wilhelmina Randtke <[log in to unmask]
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > There's not a lock-in issue with LibGuides, because it's used to
> > > host pathfinders.  Those are supposed to be periodically revisited.
> > > One of
> > the
> > > big problems is that librarians will start a guide and never finish,
> > > or make one then never maintain it.  Periodically deleting
> > > everything is a good thing for pathfinders and subject guides, and
> > > people should do it anyway.  No one's talking about tools for
> > > digital archives, which have
> > lock
> > > in issues and are way more expensive.
> > >
> >
> > Lock-in doesn't have to be absolute to be effective, it just has to
> > has raise the bar sufficiently high to make users think twice about
> > migrating away.
> >
> > This applies even if the data to be moved is transitory and constantly
> > changing.   For example, if a library has been diligently updating their
> > pathfinders, but wants to switch platforms, if there were no way to
> > export them to load into the successor system, the effort of redoing
> > them or doing a lot of copy-and-pasting could be prohibitive.
> >
> > As a general statement -- and I know that this battle has been
> > bitterly fought in the ILS space -- I believe that *all* library
> > software services, whether based on F/LOSS software or proprietary
> > software, should provide a way for the library to obtain a full dump
> > of their data, in an accessible format, at no additional charge.
> >
> > I see that LibGuides advertises the ability to make local backups of
> > individual pages and also provides (via a paid add-on module) an XML
> > export function.  I don't know if SpringShare will also provide free
> > one-time exports on request, but I would hope they do.
> >
> > Of course, even if one has the data in hand, data migrations can still
> > take a lot of time, effort, and expertise.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Galen
> > --
> > Galen Charlton
> > Manager of Implementation
> > Equinox Software, Inc. / The Open Source Experts
> > email:  [log in to unmask]
> > direct: +1 770-709-5581
> > cell:   +1 404-984-4366
> > skype:  gmcharlt
> > web:    http://www.esilibrary.com/
> > Supporting Koha and Evergreen: http://koha-community.org &
> > http://evergreen-ils.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jimmy Ghaphery
> Head, Digital Technologies
> VCU Libraries
> 804-827-3551
>