CMS/CMS: content management system/change management strategies

Five web sites, five libraries, numerous departmental pages and thousands of pages of content explained, in part, why users found library resources difficult to navigate. Web redesign became a strategic initiative in 2001 and state funding enabled the purchase of a content management system (CMS). The purpose of this paper is to describe the systematic implementation of a CMS at Texas A&M Libraries

The web implementation team (WIT) was formed to include a diverse group of people from all areas of the library and charged with responsibility for the overall management of the University Libraries' web site.

Using a CMS to create the library's web presence is an important and expensive undertaking that requires coordinated management oversight. It also presents opportunities to reconsider the library's organizational structure and culture.

This paper describes a management strategy that involves all areas of the organization, encourages teamwork, promotes innovation, and stays focused on organizational priorities. It discusses expected and unexpected consequences of implementing a CMS, and makes recommendations about CMS management in general.