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Wapl2013
1. EASY WEB SITES TO
SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS
How two Wisconsin libraries used WordPress
to fix web issues.
Mark Beatty
mbeatty@wils.wisc.edu
May 2, 2013
WAPL 2013
2. Who we are …
• Mark Beatty
• WiLS
• WordPress “facilitator”
• Carol Wunsch
• Assistant Director, Cedarburg Public Library
• Pam Belden
• Director, Waterford Public Library
• Tricia Cox
• Children's Services Librarian, Waterford Public Library
WAPL 2013
3. What were the problems?
• Web sites for smaller libraries, that they control
• New site in 30 days, and no clue where to start
• Reaching and communicating with new and different
audiences
• Befores and Afters
• http://bit.ly/12QuYvi
WAPL 2013
4. Sample Sites
• South Wood County Historical Museum
• http://www.swch-museum.com
• Arlington VA
• http://library.arlingtonva.us/
• Topeka & Shawnee County PL
• http://tscpl.org
• Demo Library
• http://www.wilsorama.org/demolibrary/
• http://www.wilsorama.org/branchlibrary/
• Waterford Library *
• http://www.waterford.lib.wi.us/
• Cedarburg Library
• http://www.cedarburglibrary.org/
• SWLS
• http://swls.wordpress.com/
• * transitioned in 30 days
WAPL 2013
5. Why WordPress
• Easy to use and update
• Dynamic
• Looks terrific
• Interoperability
• Spend your time communicating with your patrons
• Not writing code
• http://wordpress.org/
• http://wordpress.com/
WAPL 2013
6. Resources
• Using WordPress as a Library Content Management
System
• ALA Techsource, 2011
• http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/733057112
• Use WordPress to Build Library Web Sites
• ALA Online course, $250
• http://www.ala.org/onlinelearning/use-wordpress-build-library-
websites
• Search WordPress and Libraries
WAPL 2013
7. Hosting
• Your own solution, get installer from WordPress.org
• Local Government
• Campus
• Who’s doing it now
• WiscNet
• https://www.wiscnet.net
• Commerical options
• Bluehost
• http://www.bluehost.com/
• DreamHost
• http://dreamhost.com/
• 1and1
• http://www.1and1.com/
• LISHost
• http://lishost.org
• WordPress.com
• http://wordpress.com/
WAPL 2013
8. What you can do
• Themes
• Responsive new solution to multiple screen sizes
• http://dbooks.wplc.info
• Static v. Dynamic content
• Pages and posts
• Widgets
• Interoperability
• Connecting with web services
• Google, Library Reads, RSS
• Plug ins
• Social media connections
• Increased functionality for images
WAPL 2013
10. Go do it!
• Start up can be fast
• Content population can be easy
• Adding and deleting resources is easy
• Changing entire look is easy
• It’s dynamic so…
• Don’t worry about perfect, especially day one
• Concentrate on making it better and better and more
useful every day
• Your website can be a conversation between you and
your patrons
WAPL 2013
11. EASY WEB SITES TO
SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS
How two Wisconsin libraries used WordPress
to fix web issues.
Mark Beatty
mbeatty@wils.wisc.edu
May 2, 2013
WAPL 2013
