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Tips for a SharePoint Rollout

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.
 

Law Library 2.0

If you thought it was challenging to set up an intranet or a wiki in your public or academic library, think about trying it in a law library, where the management is very top-down, and everything is confidential and conservative. But these speakers manged such feats and lived to tell the tale. The process sounded like a long march of small but steady steps, but there was a happy ending.

Helpful things they did:

  • Find a library champion.
  • Start with the end in mind.
  • Keep the technology simple.
  • Get the partners involved.
  • Do focus groups.
  • Identify detractors and give them reasons to support your efforts.
  • Spell out the benefits of sharing information this way.

All of this advice is good in any situation where you’re trying to implement change that people are wary of.

~Kathy Dempsey