Need a new library website - help

[Hogue Melanie]

What ILS are you using?  You should check into some of the great PAC (public access catalog, not public access computers) features that have been developed recently. Several (Polaris comes to mind) have very customizable "portals" that offer events calendars, hours and policy information, etc. as part of the website that displays your catalog information. If you need just a few pages outside of that; you can buy a domain name (under $100), and set up a Google, Mochahost, or other webhost website ( that should cost a couple of hundred dollars a year and provides editor software as part of the online interface). Or you can also use Dreamweaver's FTP site connection to edit a hosted site - just create a new site pointing to the hosted address. I'm not sure about Google; but Mochahost also sells web design services (-MUCH more affordable than your budget).
 
Melanie Amy Hogue
Manager of Online Resources & Reports
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library
423-757-5114

________________________________

From: Web technologies in libraries on behalf of Pruntel,Alison
Sent: Mon 1/23/2012 12:11 PM
To: WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Need a new library website - help



***Cross-posted to Web4Lib, publib and lita listservs; apologies in advance if you have to read this more than once!***

 

Hi all,

 

Our county IT department is moving away from the current website structure and looking at 3rd party vendors to host the county site(s). >From preliminary conversations, they are weighing Sharepoint  vs. Vision Internet (http://www.visioninternet.com/index.aspx?page=1). From what I've seen of Vision Internet, it appears that in most counties (at least in Virginia),  the library system goes off to a separate domain/site (not the Vision Internet design/site used for the rest of the county departments). So we are thinking we may need to now budget to do something on our own. 

 

As I am just getting started (reviewing http://www.webjunction.org/technology/website-development/-/articles/content/98104148, etc.), am hoping to get some feedback from other libraries, especially those in Virginia/metro DC area. 

 

Some background...

·         We don't have our own IT department...just me for "technical" issues; I use Dreamweaver to upload content to our current site, maintain our ILS, etc. and otherwise handle other "electronic" librarian duties for databases, e-books, etc. (i.e., "jack of all trades, master of none");

·         While not averse to using something like WordPress for a CMS (hosted by someone else!), something more complicated/staff-intensive like Drupal, Joomla, etc. and anything we'd be required to host ourselves is not really an option at this point;

·         We don't have a designer (let alone a web designer) on staff; 

·         We do not want to be responsible for purchasing/configuring/maintaining a server (to be hosted by our county) for this...would want someone else to host;

·         Money is always an issue...$10K is probably all we could afford at this point;

·         We have had NO discussions at this point with board, amongst our staff, etc., as to what a library site should have or what our goals are - and I am aware that should be priority number one;

 

In light of the above, can anyone who has been in a similar predicament send me any advice/recommendations on a 3rd party vendor (particularly one that works well with libraries) you used  and are happy with, and ballpark cost? Accompanying RFPs would also be appreciated. I realize I will be able to find some of this via discussion on WebJunction, TechSoup, etc. (and have access to Library Technology Reports), but also will gladly take any offline responses as I get started researching this.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Alison Pruntel 
Electronic Resources Librarian 
Fauquier County Public Library 
11 Winchester Street 
Warrenton, VA 20186 
540-422-8515 

alison dot pruntel at fauquiercounty dot gov
FCPL Web Site: http://library.fauquiercounty.gov <http://library.fauquiercounty.gov/>  



 

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