WebJunction

I happen to know that George just answered a really great Web dev question for the "I'm Curious George" column, to be published next month. I'll come back and let you all know when it's up.

In the meantime, it's worth checking out the WJ materials on Web dev. There are some great articles and worksheets in the [url http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=517 ]Web site development[/url] category.

You also might want to check out the [url http://webjunction.org/do/MessageBoard?method=getMessages&forumId=2139&topicId=50912 ]related topic[/url] in the "Tech Planning" forum.

I thought I might revisit this topic.

We've reached a crossroads at our library. Our website needs to be redesigned ... and a committee here has been working on it ... but we've come to the conclusion that the dynamic site being envisioned needs to be put in the hands of an outside web-specialist company rather than local staff.

There are two reasons. First, we're envisioning a complicated database driven site that includes more than just our OPAC and a few subscription databases. We'd also like to establish partnerships with other local organizations ... which means a multiplicity of people editing content (like, say, the Boy Scouts changing meeting dates). We're talking about community calendars, blogs, wikis, etc. ... plus a robust set of permissions (both for access to library resources and access to editing capability).

Two, (as I'd put it) we have to insure against the IT guy getting hit by a bus. This can't rely on just one or two people for trouble-shooting or back-ups. This has the secondary result of lowering our local server needs and, likely, lowering the number of extra IT hours we've been projecting.

Obviously, our needs take us away from the "mom and pop" web design shop that *knows* static pages and maybe a bit o' flash. We need someone with the proper technical chops.

Anyway, we've been looking around but the question rises: Does anyone at WJ have a recommendation?

What we're envisioning is rather more than anything we've seen locally ... we'll need hosting as well as development. It's quite beyond what the local library systems have done ... the backend needs to be database driven (rather than have an index of manually updated screens).

I just <a href="http://www.rhastings.net/archives/2007/01/09/structure-structure-structure/">blogged</a> about that article on my professional blog yesterday! I included links to another article, from Digital Web Magazine that is somewhat similar. Thanks for posting that one!!

I love it! It's really making me think about the process of creating web sites. One of the programs our teen librarian is planning for the upcoming <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw.htm">Teen Tech Week</a> is a collaborative re-design of our teen site using teen volunteers. We'll have a 2 or 3 hour session where the teens will take part in the entire web design process - from wireframing to final design decisions (contingent on the director approving the design, of course). One of the things I plan to do is to have all the content of our current site laid out for them and we'll build the site from the content up - just like Andy Clark recommends in this book. It's a great way to look at the design process - and a beautifully put together book, too!