FROM STATIC AND STALE
TO DYNAMIC AND COLLABORATIVE:
THE DRUPAL DIFFERENCE
Ann Hubble
Deborah Murphy
Sue Chesley Perry
University of California, Santa Cruz Library
http://library.ucsc.edu
What we did
Goal: A user-centered site
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New server
New organization structure for web support and
development
New graphical design
New information architecture: menus, taxonomy,
file structure
New CMS (Drupal)
Former library website
Preparation
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Personas
Card sorting
Focus groups
Usage analytics
Wireframes and user tests
Site inventory
Lots of web browsing
Chose Drupal
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Quick overview – Drupal, Drupal Core
Open, fluid, changeable, database driven
Open source, strong developer community
Preparation: Drupal
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Lullabot training for campus
Listservs and colleague consultation
Lullabot consultation and training again during
implementation
Public site launched September 2009.
New library website
Web Site Deployment
Lessons Learned
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Learning Drupal takes time
Navigation, site architecture
Focus on essential modules
 CCK,
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Views and Taxonomy
Start small
 Identify
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small parts to bring over
Project management software
Lessons Learned
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Document & share what you’ve done
 Google
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There’s a module out there!
 Images,
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Docs or Drupal Admin site
WYSIWYG editors
Talk with other libraries about their sites
Recommended Modules for Libraries
Dynamic Web Pages
Articles A-Z List ‘View’
Subject Guides
Subject Guide ‘View’
Library Culture
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Whole new website paradigm
Easier to change software than cultures!
Steep learning curve
Mandate for success, no room for failure
Buy in
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Initial reluctance: Why did we choose Drupal?
Significant change for everyone
Moving out of one’s comfort zone…
Feeling of lack of individual design freedom
Still have varying levels of buy-in.
Modules
Taxonomy
Nodes
Blocks
Challenges of
creating content in
Drupal!
Major Change: permissions structure
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Siloed to role based ownership
Everybody owns everything, so no one takes
ownership of anything.
Collaboration is both a plus and minus.
Trust of others is required
Training issues
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Three levels of training: system administrators,
developers and staff
Developer vs. staff training
Developers will become staff trainers
Provide varied learning formats
Training videos
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Spend the money -- Lullabot or others
Drupalcon (BoF), Library conferences
Training Staff
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Training vs. facilitating learning / passive vs. active
hands-on
Learning styles vary (repetition, reassurance &
patience)
Customized training for individuals and departments
Documentation
Examples
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Large drop-in overviews with individualized handson help
Documentation on Wiki training pages
Specialized departmental training sessions
On demand individual hands-on training sessions
Frequent Email updates on changes
New features overviews and presentations
Resources
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Library related
Presentations & tutorials
General resources
Conferences
Tutorial sites
Books
What’s next
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Image Galleries
New Theme
Panels
Drupal 7 ????
What does Drupal mean???
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The logo is a stylized
drop (or water in
general) with "infinity"
eyes, a round nose
and a mischievous
smile.
Drupal is English
for the Dutch word
“druppel”, which
means “drop”