CMS/CMS: content management system/change management strategies
| Date | 01 January 2006 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830610652103 |
| Pages | 54-60 |
| Published date | 01 January 2006 |
| Author | Susan Goodwin,Nancy Burford,Martha Bedard,Esther Carrigan,Gale C. Hannigan |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
THEME ARTICLE
CMS/CMS: content management
system/change management
strategies
Susan Goodwin, Nancy Burford, Martha Bedard,
Esther Carrigan and Gale C. Hannigan
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
Abstract
Purpose – Five web sites, five libraries, numerous departmental pages and thousands of pages of
content explained, in part, why users found library resources difficult to navigate. Web redesign
became a strategic initiative in 2001 and state funding enabled the purchase of a content management
system (CMS). The purpose of this paper is to describe the systematic implementation of a CMS at
Texas A&M Libraries
Design/methodology/approach – The web implementation team (WIT) was formed to include a
diverse group of people from all areas of the library and charged with responsibility for the overall
management of the University Libraries’ web site.
Practical implications – Using a CMS to create the library’s web presence is an important and
expensive undertaking that requires coordinated management oversight. It also presents opportunities
to reconsider the library’s organizational structure and culture.
Originality/value – This paper describes a management strategy that involves all areas of the
organization, encourages teamwork, promotes innovation, and stays focused on organizational
priorities. It discusses expected and unexpected consequences of implementing a CMS, and makes
recommendations about CMS management in general.
Keywords Content management,Library management, Organizational change
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
Texas A&M is the fifth largest public university in the USA. The University Libraries
serve more than 45,000 undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. Developed by
Texas A&M researchers and sponsored by theAssociation of Research Libraries (ARL),
the LibQual
e
survey has been used as one way to ass ess user expectations and
satisfaction with library services (LibQuale,2005).LibQual
e
measures the “gap” in
users’ expectationsand perceptions of library services.Prior user surveys and the results
of subsequent LibQual
e
assessments indicated that library resources were difficult to
navigate electronically and that users wanted to be more self-sufficient. Those results
were not surprising – each of five libraries had developed its own web site, plus there
were departmental sites and personal sites. Not only was there no standard design to
brand the sites as belonging to one organization, library sites were not linked nor was
basic information about services and hours consistent, accurate or complete among
them. The University Libraries’ electronic presence did not reflect a coordinated,
integrated organization, but rather a diverse collection of parts that identified with the
whole to varying degrees. Was this merely an outcome of early web development
enthusiasm, or a reflection of fundamental (dis)organizational characteristics?
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
LHT
24,1
54
Received 1 September 2005
Revised 1 November 2005
Accepted 15 November 2005
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 24 No. 1, 2006
pp. 54-60
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830610652103
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