Downloadable slides available from http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/97550 Drupal is a powerful yet flexible tool for managing a library web site. It has an undeserved reputation for being hard for non-programmers to use. In fact, it is easy to set up a Drupal-powered website for your library without knowing any programming languages. In this workshop, the author of "Drupal in Libraries" (ALA TechSource, 2012) will provide a brief introduction to content management software and present the basic steps needed to create a simple web site using Drupal. We will explore the basic content authoring interface for a site and see how easy it is to create content for your library's needs.

1. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Getting Started with
Drupal in a Library
Ken Varnum
Web Systems Manager
University of Michigan Library
@varnum | varnum@umich.edu

2. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Overview
• Content Management
• Drupal
• Concepts
• Questions
• Drawing for a copy of “Drupal in Libraries”

3. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Content Management Systems
So what is a Content Management System?
• They come in lots of flavors:
Drupal, WordPress, Joomla, Plone, etc.
• Are a database for your website
• Separate words from interface
• Centralize back end in one system
• Distributed authorship

4. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
• Eliminate redundancy
– Simplify everything through consolidation
• Control
– What needs control or oversight in your
organization?
• Staffing levels
– Put right staff in right place
– Outsource hosting, worry about customizing?
CMS Advantages – Back End

5. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
• A CMS separates content creation from
programming
• Removes most skill barriers from
authoring
– May require additional training, procedures
CMS Advantages -- Staff

6. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Why Open Source
• Open source tools are responsibility of those
who use them
• Code is available for use, reuse, revision
• Security risks identified & patched
• Bugs identified & patched
• By who? Everyone (in a healthy ecosystem)

7. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Why Drupal
• Arguably most popular open source CMS
system
• Heavily used by libraries of all sizes
• 6400 modules, 450 themes for the current
release

8. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Libraries Using Drupal
• Aarhus public libraries,
Denmark
• Adams County Public
Library (OH)
• Arlington Heights
Memorial Library
• Altadena Library District
(CA)
• Ann Arbor District
Library
• Anythink Libraries
• Arapahoe Library District
• Athens County Public
Libraries
• Maryland AskUsNow!
• Ballerup public libraries,
Denmark
• Bellaire Public Library
(OH)
• Benicia Public Library
• Bexley Public Library
(OH)
• Brawley Public Library
• Brighton District Library,
Michigan
• Brown County Public
Library (OH)
• Camarena Memorial
Library
• Cambridge Libraries
(ON)
• Canton Public Library
• Cardington-Lincoln
Public Library (OH)
• Carnegie Public Library
(OH)
• Casey-Cardinia Library
Corporation, Australia
• Centerburg Public
Library (OH)
• Champaign County
Public Library (OH)
• Chillicothe & Ross
County Public Library
(OH)
• City of Commerce Public
Library (CA)
• Clark County Public
Library (OH)
• Claymont Public Library
(OH)
• Coldwater Public Library
(OH)
• Columbus Metropolitan
Library(OH)
• Conneaut Public Library
(OH)
• Coventry Public Library
(RI)
• Cuyahoga Falls Library
(OH) (Kids theme, Teens
theme)
• Daniel Boone Regional
Library
• Darien Library
• Denny Ashby Library
(WA)
• Denver Public Library
• Denver Public Library
Teens
• Denver Public Library
Spanish
• Dover Public Library
(OH)
• Douglas County Libraries
• Dundee Library and
Information Services
• East Greenwich Free
Library (RI)
• ExploreOhio (sponsored
by OPLIN)
• Findlay-Hancock County
Public Library (OH)
• Fort Recovery Public
Library (OH)
• Franklin Park Public
Library
• Franklin-Springboro
Public Library (OH)
• Geelong Regional
Library, Australia
• Germantown Public
Library (OH)
• Gnadenhutten Public
Library (OH)
• Grafton-Midview Public
Library(OH)
• Grand County Library
District
• Great River Regional
Library (Central
Minnesota)
• Gwinnett County Public
Library (GA)
• Hamilton Public
Library(ON)
• Harbor-Topky Memorial
Library (OH)
• Harrison District Library
(MI)
• Henderson Memorial
Public Library (OH)
• Herbert Wescoat
Memorial Library (OH)
• Homer Public Library
(OH)
• Homewood Public
Library (AL)
• Hoover Alabama Public
Library
• Idaho's statewide public
library web site project:
eBranch
• Ida Rupp Public Library
(OH)
• Jackson City Library (OH)
• Jackson District Library
• Jasper County Public
Library (IN)
• Jolliet Public Library(IL)
• J.R. Clarke Public Library
(OH)
• Kansas City Public
Library
• Kate Love Simpson
Morgan County Library
(OH)
• Keene Public Library
(NH)
• Kinderhook Memorial
Library
• Kirtland Public Library
(OH)
• Kitsap Regional Library
(WA)
• Lexington Public
Library(KY)
• Libraries of Stevens
County (WA)
• Lima Public Library (OH)
• Logan-Hocking County
District Library (OH)
• London Public Library
• London Public Library
(OH)
• Loudonville Public
Library (OH)
• Madison Public Library
(WI)
• Marion Public Library
(OH) (Kids theme, Teens
theme)
• Marvin Memorial Library
(OH)
• Mary L. Cook Public
Library (OH) (Kids
theme, Teens theme)
• Mead Public Library
(Teens theme, Kids
theme)
• Meigs County District
Public Library (OH)
• Mercer County District
Public Library (OH)
• Metropolitan
Cooperative Library
System (Los Angeles)
• Milton-Union Public
Library (OH)
• Minverva Public Library
(OH)
• Missouri River Regional
Library
• Monterey Park
Bruggemeyer Library
• Mount Gilead Public
Library (OH)
• Napoleon Public Library
(OH)
• National Library of
Australia, Australia
• Northbrook Public
Library (Northbrook, IL)
• North Kingstown Free
Library (North
Kingstown, RI)
• The New Jersey State
Library
• New York Public Library
• Ohio Public Library
Information Network
(OPLIN)
• Oregon Libraries
Network
• Orrville Public Library
(OH)
• Oslo Public Library
• Palos Verdes Library
District
• Pataskala Public Library
(OH)
• Pere Marquette District
Library (MI)
• Perry County District
Library (OH)
• Perry Public Library (OH)
• Pikes Peak Library
District (CO)
• Piscataway Public
Library(NJ)
• Portage County District
Library (OH)
• Prince George's County
Memorial Library System
• Puskarich Public Library
System (OH)
• Powell River Public
Library
• Prince Rupert Library
• Red Deer Public Library
• Redwood Library and
Athenæum (Newport,
RI)
• Rhode Island Library
Association
• Richland Library (SC)
• Ritzville Public Library
(WA)
• Rodman Public Library
(OH) (Kids theme, Teens
theme)
• San Anselmo Public
Library
• Santa Clarita Public
Library
• Schlow Centre Region
Library (Central
Pennsylvania)
• South San Francisco
Public Library
• Skokienet run by Skokie
Public Library
• State Library of Victoria,
Australia
• Stockholm Public Library
(Mobile version)
• Stow-Munroe Falls
Public Library
• Stowe Free Library
• Traverse Area District
Library
• Troy-Miami County
Public Library (OH)
• Tuscarawas County
Public Library (OH)
• Warner Public Library
• Warwick Public Library
(RI)
• Washington County
Cooperative Library
Services (Oregon)
• Washington County
Public Library(OH)
• Vaski-kirjastot consortia
(Western Finland)
• Waterford Township
Public Library (MI)
• Waukegan Public Library
• West Lake Porter Public
Library
• West Linn, Oregon
Public Library
• Williams County Public
Library (OH)
• Wissahickon Valley
Public Library (PA)
• Worthington Libraries,
Worthington, OH
(mobile site)
• Wood County District
Public Library (OH)
• Wright Memorial Public
Library (OH)
• Zadar Public Library,
Croatia
http://groups.drupal.org/node/13473

9. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Building Blocks
• Content
• Functionality
• Interface
Flickr user Artful Magpie

10. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Content
• Content is defined by a “content type”
• Fields of information that go with it
• Combines metadata with display data
• Define to meet your needs

11. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Functionality
• Functionality is added through modules
• There are thousands at drupal.org
• Can write your own if you need to
• Basically, uses PHP & Drupal’s API

12. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Interface
• Themes are the “skin” for the site
• Pick from hundreds that already exist
• Customize them
• Write your own (advanced)
• Themes organize the page into blocks
(regions) that you can place content in

13. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
DEMO – Drupal in place, getting
started
Switch to live demo

14. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Requirements for Running Drupal
• Web-connected computer
• Windows, Unix (Macintosh), Linux
• Run it on your own computer

15. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Where to Get It
DIY
• Drupal.org
• Acquia downloads
Hosted Solutions
• lishost.org
• Cherry Hill, Acquia
• Just about any ISP

16. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
And the Winner Is….
Drawing for free copy of “Drupal in Libraries”

17. © 2013 Ken Varnum Let’s Talk Tech – 10 May 2013
Bonus!
Drupal in Libraries
at Amazon.com
http://amzn.to/drupalinlibraries