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Web Project Management for Academic Libraries

Jody Condit Fagan and Jennifer Keach, James Madison University, USA

 - field-tested web project management guidance grounded in the literature of librarianship, project management and web development
 - consideration of the special needs of academic libraries
 - practical, step-by-step guidance for novices and experts in libraries of all sizes
 - resources for further study through a bibliography of library web project management

Managing the process of building and maintaining an effective library website can be as challenging as designing the product itself. Web Project Management for Academic Libraries outlines the best practices for managing successful projects related to the academic library website. The book is a collection of practical, real-world solutions to help web project managers plan, engage stakeholders, and lead organizations through change. Topics covered include the definition and responsibilities of a web project manager; necessary roles for the project team; effective communication practices; designing project workflow; executing the project; and usability testing and quality control. The techniques recommended are drawn from the experiences of the authors and from library and project management literature. The book is an essential text for library staff working as project managers or on web teams, library administrators, library school faculty and students, and web consultants working with libraries.

ISBN 1 84334 503 X
ISBN-13: 978 1 84334 503 9
December 2009
304 pages  234 x 156mm  paperback  
£52.50 / US$90.00 / €65.00

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About the authors

Jody Condit Fagan is Content Interfaces Coordinator and Associate Professor at James Madison University, where she manages Web projects relating to the library’s content systems. She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters relating to libraries and the Web and is editor of the Journal of Web Librarianship. She received her MLS from the University of Maryland College Park and an MA in History from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Jennifer A. Keach is Director of Digital Services and Associate Professor at James Madison University, where she leads a department focused on Web development, software and hardware for library users and staff. She has managed academic library Web projects, both large and small, for more than 10 years. She received her MLS from the University of Alabama.

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Emerging Technologies for Academic Libraries in the Digital Age
Scientific Libraries
Universal Design
Numeric Data Services and Sources for the General Reference Librarian
Diversity Programming and Outreach for Academic Libraries

Contents

Introduction
 - Who should read this book?
 - Overview of this book’s contents
 - Why are web projects in academic libraries different?

The web project manager in academic libraries
 - Introduction
 - The definition of a web project manager
 - The many job descriptions of web professionals
 - Project management in libraries
 - Academic libraries need web project managers
 - Qualifications and education for web project managers
 - Personality traits for the web project manager
 - Technical skills for the web project manager
 - So, do you want to be a web project manager?
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Environmental realities
 - Introduction
 - Organizational placement and size
 - Campus web environment
 - Working with guidelines and requirements
 - Competing for technical support
 - The academic environment: faculty and students
 - Your library’s environment
 - Conclusion
 - References

Defining your project
 - Introduction
 - Learning about projects
 - Deciding if a ‘project’ is actually a project
 - Prioritizing projects
 - When decision-making is not transparent
 - Project overview
 - Project specifications
 - Introducing project management to your library
 - Conclusion
 - References

The academic library web team
 - Introduction
 - Web committees and teams
 - Skills for your team
 - Web project team roles
 - Team size
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Library web team dynamics
 - Introduction
 - Stages of team development
 - Personality types
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Team communication
 - Introduction
 - The kickoff meeting
 - Getting started with the research
 - Routine team meetings
 - One-on-one meetings
 - Virtual and physical workspaces
 - Staying up to date
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Planning for organizational communication
 - Introduction
 - Developing a communication plan
 - Gathering input from colleagues
 - Organizational communication issues in academic libraries
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Getting user input
 - Introduction
 - Who are your users?
 - When should you get user input?
 - Whose responsibility is it to get user input?
 - Using existing research and information
 - Using web statistics
 - Methods for gathering user input
 - Ethical issues
 - Organizing, analyzing, and reporting effectively on user input
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Overall and design specifications
 - Introduction
 - Overall project specifications
 - Design specifications
 - Working with designers
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Technical specifications
 - Introduction
 - Evaluating options
 - Technical requirements
 - Programming specifications
 - Database specifications
 - Working with programmers
 - Testing the project
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Web content specifications
 - Introduction
 - Academic library web content is different
 - Documenting your content needs
 - Identifying sources for content
 - Working with different web content formats
 - Content management systems
 - Reviewing content
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Planning the work
 - Introduction
 - Work breakdown structure
 - Assigning tasks
 - Estimating time and money
 - Task dependencies
 - The schedule
 - Tracking the work
 - Conclusion
 - Recommended readings
 - References

Concluding your web project
 - Introduction
 - How do you know when you are done?
 - Letting go of your project
 - Communications related to project launch
 - Day of launch
 - Adjourning your team
 - Evaluating your process
 - Conclusion
 - References