Download Harnessing the Potential of Database Driven Websites

Harnessing the Potential of
Database Driven Websites
David Lindahl
Web Initiatives Manager
River Campus Libraries
University of Rochester
Background
Computer Science
 Xerox PARC
 Work Practice Study
 Web Design and Development

Our Organization

University of Rochester
Annual sponsored research funding
over $1 billion
 46 PhD programs


UR Libraries
Over 3 million volumes
 $14 million annual budget

Overview
Database Driven Websites
 Dynamic Web Pages
 Content Management Systems

Why DB Driven? (part 1)
Separate design from content
 Build content management tools

Manage content
 Enforce consistency
 Retention policy
 Staff efficiency
 Provide data integrity


Content reuse
Why DB Driven? (part 2)
Create a seamless experience
 Create a task oriented, activity
oriented website
 Improve Usability through more
flexibility/capability in pages
 Customization to users context
 Connect to other systems

How DB Driven Sites Work
Client
1
6
Database Server
5
4
Web Server
3
2
File Server
Examples of Technologies
Cold Fusion
 Microsoft SQL
 Active Server Pages
 Java, JSP, JavaScript
 PERL
 Flash
 Web Services, SOAP, XML

Library Website Goals
Visually appealing
 User-Centered Design
 Task-oriented
 Infrastructure to support capabilities

What the Libraries Did

Roles and Responsibilities
Web Working Group
 Content Groups
 Usability Group

Vendor Partnerships
 Technology Platforms / Integration

Our Infrastructure
Web Server (Cold Fusion, IIS,
Novell)
 SQL 2000 Server
 Voyager OPAC (Oracle DB)
 ILLiad Server
 ERA Server
 SFX Server

Applications We Built
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Content Management System
Find Articles
Courses
Search / Browse Resources
Questions and Comments System
Change Requests
For Each Application





Why?
Features / Capabilities
Roles and Responsibilities
Demonstration
System Architecture
1. Content Management System

Why?

Site survey
• Thousands of files with no inventory
• Inconsistency
Staff efficiency
 Usability
 ADA compliance

1. Content Management System

Features / Capabilities (part 1)
Staff login / permissions
 Web administration
 Page level metadata
 Edit page button
 Automatic backup and restore
 Link checking
 URL independence / syntax standards

1. Content Management System

Features / Capabilities (part 2)
Web statistics
 Support for multiple designs and sites
 Consistency enforcement

• Title/link matching
• Style sheets
• Common elements
Breadcrumbs
 ADA compliance

1. Content Management System

Roles and Responsibilities

Web development group
• Design
• Development
• Administration
• ADA

Library staff
• Content creation and update
• ADA
1. Content Management System

Demonstration
Staff login
 Staff modules
 Anatomy of a page
 Page properties
 Edit page
 More staff modules

Staff Login
• Login from any page
• Permissions determine
available services
Footer (after Staff Login)
•
•
•
•
•
Staff Modules
Properties, Edit Page
Logoff
Link Checker
Detailed Last Updated Information
Staff Modules
Staff Module Applications
• Page Manager
• Site Manager
• Feedback
• News
• Resource Manager
• Courses Manager
• Printer Transactions
• Voyager Link Checking
• Return To Site
• Logoff
More
Anatomy
of a Page
• Common Header
• Common Footer
Other Properties
• Title
• Background Color
• Meta Tags
• Page Number
Anatomy
of a Page
Body Template
Body File
Common Elements
Page Properties 1
More
Page Properties 2
More
Edit Page
More Staff Modules
•
•
•
•
Logged In To TestDave Account
No Access To Admin Functionality
Limited Access To Applications
Limited Access To Edit Content
1. Content Management System

More Demonstration
Other sites in our CMS
 Title link enforcement example
 Web statistics
 Link checking

Demo Other Sites
Title
Consistency
Demo Statistics
Demo Link Check
1. Content Management System

System Architecture (part 1)
http://www.library.rochester.edu/index.cfm?page=12
Web Server
• IIS
• Cold Fusion
Index.cfm
StyleSheet.cfm
Header.cfm
Body.cfm
Footer.cfm
File Server
Database Server
• Microsoft SQL • Checks System State In DB
1. Content Management System

System Architecture (part 2)
Database Server
• Microsoft SQL
Database Tables Contain:
• Pages
• Users
• Permissions
• System State
• Content (Application Data)
2. Find Articles

Why?
Finding articles is a big obstacle for
undergraduates
 Usability testing revealed this issue
 Users don’t know what a database is or
how to select one
 Google can be a lower quality resource

2. Find Articles

Features / Capabilities
Task oriented pathways to finding
articles
 Google-like search interface
 Integration of vendor technologies
 “Hide the technology”
 Access from home

2. Find Articles

Roles and Responsibilities
AJN content group
 Task force on meta-search technology
 Partnerships with vendors
 IT department involvement

• ERA Server
• SFX Server
2. Find Articles

Demonstration
Find
Articles
(Gathering)
Browse
Results
View
Full Text
Demo Find Articles
Demo (gathering)
Demo Find Article Results
Demo Full Text
2. Find Articles

System Architecture
Subscription DB
Library
Web Server
ERA Server
SFX Server
3. Courses

Why?
Difficulty finding reserves material
 Subject guides not effective

3. Courses

Features / Capabilities
Search interface
 Custom web pages of library resources
for courses

• Includes bibliographer, selected resources,
link to the instructor created course page,
the syllabus, and the reserves material
Easier for bibliographers
 Import from the registrars office

3. Courses

Roles and Responsibilities

Courses content group
• Responsible for features of system
• Working with registrars office
Bibliographers are responsible for
mapping library resources to specific
courses.
 Faculty provide the syllabus
 Reserves/circ staff for linking

3. Courses

Demonstration (front end)
Find
Course
Choose
Section
View
Resources
Access
Syllabus
Demo Courses
Demo Select
Demo Course Page
Demo Reserves
3. Courses

Demonstration (back-end)
Demo Courses Admin
Demo Courses Admin 2
3. Courses

System Architecture
Web Server
• IIS
• Cold Fusion
Database Server
• Microsoft SQL
Voyager Catalog
• Oracle DB
Web applications have
access to catalog data
in real time
Courses Availability
Open source software:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/libcb

4. Search / Browse Resources

Why?
Catalog difficult to use
 Catalog user interface not customizable
 Catalog not task oriented

• Complex “set limits” screen
• Boolean searching is not intuitive
4. Search / Browse Resources

Features / Capabilities
Search box and browsable list available
for multiple resources
 Usability tested interface, customized
to the needs of our users
 Consistent design across all resource
types and applications in the site
 Scheduled export of catalog records

4. Search / Browse Resources

Roles and Responsibilities
Automated system
 Content group reviews record displays
 Design group maintains site style
guidelines

4. Search / Browse Resources

Demonstration
Find
Videos/DVDs
Popular Reading Find eJournals
Collection
Find Databases
Demo Videos
Demo Pop Reading
Demo ejournals
Demo DB
4. Search / Browse Resources

System Architecture
Web Server
• IIS
• Cold Fusion
Database Server
• Microsoft SQL
Voyager Catalog
• Oracle DB
To improve performance,
Cold Fusion scheduled
tasks copy catalog data
at regular intervals.
5. Questions and Comments System

Why?
Users were required to understand our
organization in order to ask a question
or make a comment.
 Some contact points went to a single
individual and could get delayed or lost.

5. Questions and Comments System

Features / Capabilities
Database-driven help desk application
 Knowledgeable staff member reads and
forwards each piece of correspondence
 QCs stored in a database with
metadata (date, history)
 Statistics gathering is possible

5. Questions and Comments System

Roles and Responsibilities
Reference Librarian responsible for
triage
 All staff responsible for responding to
Questions and Comments

5. Questions and Comments System

Demonstration
5. Questions and Comments System

System Architecture
Web Server
• IIS
• Cold Fusion
Email Server
• SMTP
Database Server
• Microsoft SQL
Email is used to notify
staff of new QCs and
to respond to patrons.
6. Change Request System

Why?
Library staff were emailing the web
development group directly
 Newest requests were trumping more
difficult outstanding requests
 No evaluation of the requests was
taking place

6. Change Request System

Features / Capabilities
Change request form
 Change request queue for viewing
status of all requests
 Urgent request awareness tool
 View history of past requests and
resolutions
 Print lists designed for weekly review

6. Change Request System

Roles and Responsibilities
Staff submit requests and track
progress through system
 Comments from the public can be
converted to change requests by any
staff member
 Web development group evaluates and
implements changes

6. Change Request System

Demonstration
Change
Request Form
Outstanding
Queue
Completed
Queue
Urgent
Queue
Demo CR Form
Demo CR List 1
Demo CR List 2
6. Change Request System

System Architecture
Web Server
• IIS
• Cold Fusion
Database Server
• Microsoft SQL
Change Requests are
stored and updated in
the database.
Others Features
Chat system
 Offline

Catalog
 ILLiad

News system
 Help/FAQ system

Harnessing the Potential of
Database Driven Websites
David Lindahl
Web Initiatives Manager
River Campus Libraries
University of Rochester
[email protected]