The libraries at San Jose State University and San Jose Public didn’t even have email systems that talked to each other. But, when thrown into a joint library SharePoint implementation, they stepped up and worked together. Sarah Houghton-Jan and Shannon Staley shared their experiences of streamlining their libraries’ intranet management.
The project involved IT, a Web Team, and organizational input. They piloted several small sites. They chose to work within their existing intranet structure and grow carefully—it’s hard to move a large intranet over quickly (migrating can be quite time-consuming). They opened up site requests to the rest of the staff
Not all intranet content requires SharePoint for content management. Criteria for using SharePoint include the need for frequent updates, requirement for group collaboration, and other specialized information sharing.
Users can access sites through their own Windows login information. If home access is required, you need to create separate URLs. You can set permissions at the document level. Other key features include blogs, a master calendar, wikis, discussion boards, RSS and email alerts, surveys, task lists, etc. It’s easy to post. It is NOT easy to manage (it’s not intuitive)—just like every other Microsoft product!
It was a long and slow process to launch SharePoint. They recommend offering training materials well in advance. The presentation will be posted at LibrarianInBlack.net.
Paula J. Hane
News Bureau Chief, Information Today, Inc.
