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Web Advisory Committee Quarterly Report

Quarterly Report: Q1 2005-2006

8 December 2005
Sarah Jones, Chair

Accomplishments and Successes

1. Tasks and Priorities for 2005-2006
   • DLS to implement Message Boards (Q1)
     • Web server is awaiting refurbishment, after which applications will be installed and tested, prior to a staff preview, which would precede a public rollout
   • Rethinking the content/layout/tasks of the "Find" pages (Q1)
     • Pending discussion
   • Distributed authoring (Q1)
     • Pending discussion
   • Google Search Appliance (aka the Google Mini) (Q1)
     • Pending installation
   • OneSearch integration (initially: text link in Search box on home page, A-Z Database list, included in the Find Articles page - Q1-Q2)
     • Dependent on the MetaLib Implementation timeline
   • Profile questionnaire/info for the models in the home page photographs
     • On the agenda for the December 13 WAC meeting
   • Usability/accessibility (2.1.1 usability implementation team)
   • Tutorials template (4.2.1 and 4.3.3 instruction implementation teams)
   • Reconsider content for Resources for You pages
   • Template for library staff "bio" pages
   • Course guides template
   • Sorting through the course guides/tutorials/how to's/etc
   • Fleshing out the narrow subject pages with more than licensed databases
   • Enhanced, integrated live chat assistance
   • Publicize and encourage the use of the Web Comments IM accounts for user support
   • Assignment Calculator (cf from the University of Minnesota)
     
     

2. Issues and Decisions
   • "Who should have responsibility/authority over taxonomy questions?"
     • WAC is responsible for the UTALO taxonomy, but it will remain informed by the MetaLib taxonomy together with usability considerations
   • "Should we recommend the licensing of LIFT Transcoder for accessibility?" (more information here and here)
     • WAC recommends this product, funding has been approved, and licensing is pending
   • Hosting UTA Libraries Online web content on servers other than library.uta.edu or libraries.uta.edu
     • This discussion is continuing. Issues to consider are:
     • Maintaining UTA Libraries identity on the externally hosted pages/sites/applications
     • Maintenance of a matching or compatible look and feel on the externally hosted pages/sites/apps
     • Content vs. application -- if an application is hosted externally but is meant to be integrated in UTALO, where is the boundary between content and application?
     • What criteria must be met to allow a spinoff site?
       What is the process for requesting integration of an external application?
     • What expectations will WAC have for authors/developers of spinoff sites?
     • What expectations will WAC have for authors/developers of external applications?
     • Who is responsible for related/attendent issues? e.g:
       • Usability
       • Labeling
       • Explanatory text
       • Page titles, headlines
       • Navigation and navigational integration with UTALO
       • Identification of stakeholders
     • Meanwhile, applications for the UTALO web presence, which are incompatible with the UTALO platform, will be hosted on an external server. When possible, the application will be provided as a web service for integration into the UTALO platform and look-and-feel. When this is not possible, a parallel look-and-feel and navigation, appropriate to the external application and to the UTALO web presence, will be provided for the externally hosted application.
       
       
       
3. Discussions Anticipated for Q2 2005-2006
   • Preparation for distributed authoring/CMS
     • Who "owns/is responsible for" what sections/content?
     • What does it mean to "own/be responsible for" content on UTALO?
     • What sections/content are "owned" by WAC? (That is, not candidates for distributed authoring)
     • What is WAC's role/responsibility for non-WAC-owned content?
   • Developing profile questions for the models that appear in the UTALO home page photography.
   • Offering Google Scholar on UTALO
   
   

Quarter 1 in Review

This quarter, WAC began to address the most complicated issues it has faced so far, and it will continue to address them in the coming quarter. The issues involving externally hosted applications and the coming issues involving distributed authoring are, essentially, issues of governance, responsibility, and the development and maintenance of web authoring and web development standards. This is new territory for WAC, and at present, WAC is still in the process of understanding these particular issues in view their role of advising on maintaining the integrity of the library's public web presence.

As strategic planning activities occupy much of the time of DLS staff and WAC member, I anticipate that those activities will have an impact on WAC's ability to move forward on projects, particularly projects which are time- or labor-intensive.