A Site for Sore Eyes

This week's readings on Content Management Systems (CMS) for website development is timely, because it just so happens to our library is getting ready for an upgrade of its own.  For a long time, our library's site operated on its own, independent of the university, with many homegrown features to help customize it for library purposes.  We had a database list that we made from scratch, a suggestion box for book purchases, a widget for our Reference Chat.  Lots of things that the other departments on our university campus would never need.  Our website librarian managed it using Adobe Dreamweaver and the open-source Drupal CMS.  

So of course they left us alone to do our own thing, until someone had the genius idea that our university ought to merge with the university down the street (I see you, University System of Georgia, and your disturbing penchant for cannibalizing your own institutions...).  They needed a new university website, of course.  A new site, for a new U.  That's great and all, except now they're getting a little too nosy with the library site.  Demanding we adopt the university standard.  Insisting we change out our outdated owl icons for the official university mascot.

Informing us we have to switch to their new CMS, OU Campus.

At this point, our website librarian burst into flames.

Up until this time, they had not consulted the library at all to ask about our unique needs.  They seemed to have this crazy idea that they could just build us a page and give it us without ever needing to edit, update, or look the slightest bit cross-eyed at it.  Have they ever actually used a library site?  We are constantly going through new database trials, advertising new events or hours, adding new how-to videos or research guides.  We simply cannot build a website that's supposed to last us all year.

And yet I see their point.  Our website doesn't look nearly as polished as the university one.  Compare for instance:

Our Dreamweaver and Drupal website

vs...

Their far fancier, OU Campus website

So... there is definitely some room for improvement, but I'm still a bit nervous for our site.  All in all, I'm excited to be moving to the university's CMS because I know our library site is going to look so much better.  However, I share the concern of our website librarian because I know we are going to have fight with them kicking and screaming for every little change we want to make unless we can negotiate with them to have more freedom and control over our own site.  I just hope that we can open up the channels of communication and solve this in a civilized fashion.  You know.  Before we're forced to do something drastic, like secede and align ourselves with another university that hasn't already been consumed by us yet...