In this course, we have been exposed to the advantages of implementing a content management system for the library web site. A study at Wheaton College was conducted explaining the experiences of the college using a content management system for the library web site. The case study is outlined in “Untangling a tangled web: a case study in choosing and implementing a CMS” authored by Terry L. Huttenlock, Jeff W. Beaird, and Ronald W. Fordham. The importance of the library web site at Wheaton College became evident when electronic resources boosted; however web site maintenance became a hardship. As a result, the library searched for an alternative: an open source CMS in which the web site could be maintained by non-programmers, have links to electronic resources, be straightforward, have the ability to migrate information from the old website, and be installed fairly quickly. Wheaton selected WebGUI. WebGUI provides support services (additional price), implements Perl, Apache and MySQL. Installing WebGUI required experience with mod_perl. The installation process was somewhat painless; however, at first navigating the system was a challenge as it involved a lot of figuring things out and knowing HTML. Once the system was figured out, it ran smoothly. Security issues were encountered after the first year; however, they were solved promptly. In the end, Wheaton was happy with WebGUI as updates and adding pages was simple. WebGUI was upgraded in 2004 which caused staff to learn how to navigate a new system and create a web site similar to the previous. Once again, the system was figured out and it ran smoothly. Wheaton was happy with WebGUI.
Reading this article was helpful as it makes one understand that there may be struggles when implementing an open source CMS; however, one should not be discouraged. It is important to think of the outcome and that in the end the new web site will be beneficial to its users.
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