1	Otto Richter Library Website Strategic Assessment and Preliminary Draft Plan Prepared by Ray Uzwyshyn, Web Services For Richter Library Web Committee 2003
2	Library Website Analysis This strategic assessment surveys the current state of the Otto Richter Library Website Makes recommendations for future design, development, administration and resource needs
3	Strategic Plan Initiate and Identify mandates Assess internal/external factors surrounding the present site’s development Focus strategies for web committee discussion regarding possible directions for the Website’s future
4	Document Purpose Pro-Activity Assessment of external influences impinging on the website’s development Recognize the need for collaborative and progressive change Genesis of Policy Documents
5	Working Policy Document Written as Organic working document (draft) to be drafted into policy Oriented towards the web committee and other interested parties input and amendments From a consultative perspective focusing from the web team’s charge
6	Web Site (from Web Charge) The Richter Web site is a significant point-of-contact for users accessing library resources and services. The Web site’s functionality can contribute to (or hinder) a user’s capability to utilize the library successfully. Enhancing and improving the library’s Web site requires the focused efforts of a team of library faculty and staff.
7	Web Team Charge The charge for the Web Team is to serve as the editorial board for the library’s Web site. The Web Team has approval over the content and design of the top-level pages of the site. The Web Team is responsible for coordinating the overall organization and presentation of networked information resources and services via the Web site.
8	Environmental Scanning Website is an amalgam of several university library and departmental sites linked through Richter’s unique and central status Historically, web presence began in early 90’s and was managed, maintained and designed by single person.
9	Since early 90’s The library’s web presence has grown exponentially Web administrative and departments requesting developmental assistance has equally expanded. Human resource component and planning (Policy) infrastructure to maintain this larger presence has not accompanied this expansion.
10	Other Issues Design: Loose rather than larger thought out application of visual metaphor, graphic innovation, style sheets and forms Programming: combination of HTML with various database driven backend technologies Multimedia: sporadic use throughout the site Information architecture: base structure in place (time to more closely investigate this structure as starting point for the next level)
11	Brainstorming Series of Initial web committee brainstorming meetings should be initiated. Parallel library website development and other forward looking directions should be explored Supplemental reports from various web committee members regarding recommendations for features should be initiated
12	Beginnings Work with ideas of organic growth innovation Active change Experimentation Encouraged on Micrological Level Genesis of Future Policy (Adherence to Policy)
13	External Analysis Factors in the library’s external environment influencing the library’s site development
14	Social Factors influencing Design Library Faculty Staff Departmental Needs Institutional Needs Administrative Needs User Needs
15	Economic Factors Influencing Design Budgetary Constraints Human Resources Time Constraints related to Human Resources
16	Technological Changes Impinging on Design Human Resource Continuous Learning Technology required in order to accomplish initiatives (new servers, software, hardware) Limitations built into technology (download times, modem speeds, browser compatibility issues)
17	Cultural Factors Impinging on Design University of Miami Socio-Cultural Location and Visual Implications South Florida Cuban/Hispanic Speaking Population South American Border/Boundary Area
18	Demographics Impinging on Design University of Miami Faculty and Student Use Usability Studies: Who exactly are the users and how/where/why and when is the site being used?
19	Untransparent Socio-Economic Valence of the Design The University of Miami Web committee sees the university’s web presence as moving towards a more pronounced marketing/advertising focus (attracting students to the university)
20	Internal Site Analysis Web Service under or minimally staffed Single allocated employee for daily administration, maintenance, coordination long term design and development One person on library catalog Ancillary Specialized projects person Uncoordinated student assistants from various departments working on web concerns
21	Web Services Resources and Strategies While resources are present in larger environment, there is no dedicated web lab or budget assigned to web resources or a continuous learning environment Current Web strategy works in defense (keep up as much as possible with daily requests and without larger policy to fall back on)
22	SWOT Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
23	What are Our Major Strengths? Mapped out structure/foundational placement of library services within a larger site Treasure trove of bibliographic and human resource riches with regards to possibilities for providing information resources to students and faculty (i.e. Cuban Heritage, Research/Ed Services) Combined Power of a Lobbying Force Web Team to Produce, Market and Implement Site wide Policies to Larger Library Faculty
24	Constraints and Weaknesses (What Inhibits Us?) Lack of Human Resources Lack of Site-wide Policy with Regard to Design Issues Lack of Policy for submitting Requests Lack of Long Term Planning Strategy Lack of Patron usability studies Poor workflow (Policy) regarding Content/Design duties of Web Services
25	Opportunities New Technological opportunities position the library with regards to the wider sphere of media rich technologies and cutting edge design The Web team can be designed to develop as an innovative think tank for incubating ideas regarding website innovation and open forum for experimentation while setting a firm foundation through development of future policies
26	Threats Unpredictable Nature of Internet (Bandwidth Limitations) Lack of Human Resources Miscommunication between departments, lack of following policies regarding delegation of authority for pages content/design of site Lack of Research/Development/Beta Version (Experimental) Time for Site Designs
27	Goals and Objectives What Do We Want our Future to Be? Service Goal: To provide a leading edge library website for users accessing resources and services. Human Resource Goal: to develop staff infrastructure capable of implementing such a website with a longer term vision Administrative Goal: to make funding needs explicit (budget allocation) and create a policy structure which must be followed by all departments/bodies/etc.
28	Objectives 1.1 Site Wide Redesign (year time line) Forward looking perspective Attention to issues of design aesthetics Attention to issues of multimedia (Flash, motion graphics, sound, video components, e-reference service)
29	Objectives 2.1 To develop a tiered technical staff capable of implementing and maintaining a large university website and internally training a next tier of student assistants
30	Objective 3.1 To educate library staff and web committee members on current design trends, visual literacy and design technology so library science competencies can be placed in better dialogue with web concerns to make judgments
31	Objectives 4.1 To manage day to day concerns and requests within a policy followed and defined workflow (i.e. feedback forms) and in an innovative manner beneficial to the library and university mandates
32	Objective 5.1 To make administration and wider university links aware of new technological possibilities so that proactive planning can be engendered
33	Objective 6.1 To initiate, develop and implement a series of usability studies to gain a better understanding of library user population needs
34	Identifying Major Strategic Issues Development of Policy Infrastructure Adequate and Trained Staff Appropriate Technology Adequate Time for Staff
35	Strategy Implementation Strategies later become policies that guide decisions, structures and rules that define institutions Web committee should begin by focusing on strategies, objectives and issues that will later become policy Individual departments should be informed about this purpose and outside opinions solicited and gathered
36	Performance Measurement Review for next draft to solicit opinions, additions and independent assessments for improvement (formal voting structure?) Recommendations of Senior Management Preliminary beta experimentation stage with various pages (i.e. home page, specific departmental initiatives) Larger Site Design timelines begun Web Usability Studies
37	Projecting the Library Website into the Desired Future Strategic Planning to initiate larger ‘followed’ web policies Awareness of increasingly technologically mediated reality UM Librarians and libraries place within this reality Web Presence as front line vanguard on a leading edge which others follow.
38	"Questions and Discussion" Questions and Discussion