A content management system, or cms, can be defined as a system that facilitates “the creation, management and delivery of information (content and documents), typically via corporate websites, portals, extranets or intranets” (Elcom,2011).

Content management system software manages the workflow for creating web sites from content authoring to editing and publishing (Morville, 2002,p.328).

Cms software can be open-source (free) for the user or proprietary (commercially available). Here I am have evaluated three proprietary cms software products that I have used to create library content over the last ten years :

Dreamweaver4

AutonomyInterwoven Teamsite

Springshare LibGuides for Academic Libraries

When you are purchasing cms software, it is your responsibility to identify your requirements and investigate the specifications you wish to have at the best possible price. All the cms software vendors seem to claim to be the most complete cms product and refuke the claims of other vendors. So, to make the selection of cms software a little easier features can be compared using the following an evaluation strategy.

EVALUATION STRATEGY

When evaluating cms software, you will need to look at the 3 components of effective content management (Morville, 2007,p.286):

Rules - processes that manage the content; workflows to create, publish and maintain content on the site; process documents including style guidelines and standards.

Roles - staff who perform cms processes who follow the processes and guidelines as well as assist to create and maintain them.

Resources - content and its repository as well as the cms that allows the rules and roles to be carried out.

The following features were evaluated:

Price

Audience

Ease of installation

Templates

Content creation

Content editing

Training

Support

Security

Page Copyright © Colleen Shipman 2011
The graphics "DW", "Autonomy", "Springshare" are copyrights© of Adobe Systems, Autonomy Corp and Springshare LLC repectively.