Unit 2

This week I read the article "CMS/CMS: content management system/change management strategies," by Susan Goodwin, Nancy Burford, Martha Bedard, Esther Carrigan and Gale C. Hannigan at Texas A&M University. The paper discusses the Texas A&M University Libraries' re-design of their web presence using a CMS. The University initially had several separate websites for its various libraries, along with departmental and personal websites, and thus needed a more unified and coherent web presence. The paper describes the main methodology of re-designing its website, which included the formation of a Web Implementation Team and the purchase of a CMS system. Rather than going into details about the technical aspects of implementing the CMS, the paper takes a wider approach by discussing the challenges on an organization-wide scale of developing an effective web presence, along with recommendations.

I found this article to be very enlightening and was surprised by some of the findings of the paper. I was expecting to read more about the technical challenges of using a CMS, but instead the authors take a more holistic approach and discuss the wider needs, challenges and benefits of the organizational web presence. The authors emphasize that many different members of the organization need to be involved and invested in order for the project to be a success, and especially members who have authority. I found the following statement to be particularly interesting: "Do not expect change without affecting roles and responsibilities. Virtual change will drive organizational change." (p.58) The authors go on to explain that increased self-sufficiency for the user can create a shifting of roles within the organization, as well as the requirement for new skills (such as maintaining the CMS). It had never occurred to me before that re-designing a website could have such profound implications for the organization itself. I really enjoyed this article and it encouraged me to think about aspects of a library's website and use of a CMS that I have never thought about before.