Leo Klein on Drupal for Libraries Talk Given at the Metropolitan Library System (Chicago) Feb. 29, 2008 Created by Leo Klein, ChicagoLibrarian.com

Hey, Wait a Minute!

Why Content Management? In the Beginning: Everything Done by Hand Early Database-Driven Sites: Home-made, DIY Current CMS Potpourri: Many Choices (Good, Bad & Ugly*) ______ * http://www.opensourcecms.com

In the Beginning:

Everything Done by Hand

Early Database-Driven Sites:

Home-made, DIY

Current CMS Potpourri:

Many Choices (Good, Bad & Ugly*)

Why Drupal? (Druplicon)

Libraries That Use Drupal Florida State Univ. Uminn Bio-Med. Library Hoover Public Library (AL) Wendt Library (U. Wisc.)

Origin of Drupal

Early Drupal User Group Meetup

Drupal Born – 2001* Originally developed by Dries Buytaert and fellow students at the University of Antwerp 2001 – Initial Release of Drupal 2004 – Drupal taken up by Dean Campaign 2005 to now: High Profile Conversions (Onion.com, Observer.com, Amnesty International) From " Community Plumbing " to " Roll-Your-Own Push Button CMS " _________ * More Info: http://drupal.org/node/769 http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1398641189

Originally developed by Dries Buytaert and fellow students at the University of Antwerp

2001 – Initial Release of Drupal

2004 – Drupal taken up by Dean Campaign

2005 to now:

High Profile Conversions (Onion.com, Observer.com, Amnesty International)

From " Community Plumbing " to " Roll-Your-Own Push Button CMS "

Drupal.org

Resources from Drupal.org Software Documentation Bug Reports, Feature Requests, etc. News Forums Groups

Software

Documentation

Bug Reports, Feature Requests, etc.

News

Forums

Groups

Joys & Sorrows of Open Source It’s Free It’s Open It’s Innovative (sometimes) It’s "Scratch Your Own Itch” It’s Frustrating It's Fun

It’s Free

It’s Open

It’s Innovative (sometimes)

It’s "Scratch Your Own Itch”

It’s Frustrating

It's Fun

Types of Users

Requirements SW-HW*: Server running either Apache or IIS PHP (Scripting Language) MySQL or PostgreSQL Human: Person comfortable installing the above three “ Some assembly required” ______ * http://drupal.org/requirements

SW-HW*:

Server running either Apache or IIS

PHP (Scripting Language)

MySQL or PostgreSQL

Human:

Person comfortable installing the above three

“ Some assembly required”

Drupal in 3 Parts

Drupal Core What You Get 'Out of the Box' Essential Features (Node, Block, Taxonomy, Theme Engine, Comments, RSS) 'Legacy' Features (Story, Forum, Blog)

What You Get 'Out of the Box'

Essential Features

(Node, Block, Taxonomy,

Theme Engine, Comments, RSS)

'Legacy' Features

(Story, Forum, Blog)

Contributed Modules "Building Blocks" of Drupal Hundreds to Choose from Most Essential Modules: Content Construction Kit Views ImageCache Organic Groups

"Building Blocks" of Drupal

Hundreds to Choose from

Most Essential Modules:

Content Construction Kit

Views

ImageCache

Organic Groups

Life & Death of a Drupal Module Modules are built for a specific purpose and for a specific release of Drupal How to Tell if a Module is Alive and Kicking -- or in the 'Deadpool': Recent updates? Recent Support Questions/Issues? Attitude of Maintainers (Helpful or Not)?

Modules are built for a specific purpose and for a specific release of Drupal

How to Tell if a Module is Alive and Kicking -- or in the 'Deadpool':

Recent updates?

Recent Support Questions/Issues?

Attitude of Maintainers (Helpful or Not)?

Themes Amor Azul Imagination NewsFlash SEO Position

Drupal Roadmap Drupal 6.0 (Feb. 2008) Improvements: Installation Theming Internationalization Drupal 7.0 (Feb. 2009?) Incorporation of CCK & Views into Core

Drupal 6.0 (Feb. 2008)

Improvements:

Installation

Theming

Internationalization

Drupal 7.0 (Feb. 2009?)

Incorporation of CCK & Views into Core

Drupal as a Community Open Source encourages - and requires – an open, responsive Social Organization Great team of Developers (some local in Illinois) Learn the terrain & benefit from It

Open Source encourages - and requires – an open, responsive Social Organization

Great team of Developers (some local in Illinois)

Learn the terrain & benefit from It

Other Helpful Sites Drupal.org Main Drupal Site Lullabot Wonderful source for podcasts and other high quality information on Drupal - http://www.lullabot.com Mastering Drupal Number of good screencasts - http://www.masteringdrupal.com/ Dries Buytaert's Blog Personal Blog of Drupal's Founder - http://buytaert.net

Drupal.org Main Drupal Site

Lullabot Wonderful source for podcasts and other high quality information on Drupal - http://www.lullabot.com

Mastering Drupal Number of good screencasts - http://www.masteringdrupal.com/

Dries Buytaert's Blog Personal Blog of Drupal's Founder - http://buytaert.net

Library-Related Resources DRUPAL4LIB – Listserv http://drupal4lib.org Drupal Group http://groups.drupal.org/libraries Drupalib http://drupalib.interoperating.info/ Local Chicago User Group (General) http://groups.drupal.org/chicago

DRUPAL4LIB – Listserv http://drupal4lib.org

Drupal Group http://groups.drupal.org/libraries

Drupalib http://drupalib.interoperating.info/

Local Chicago User Group (General) http://groups.drupal.org/chicago

Leo Klein’s Drupal Tips Try "Sandboxes" at OpenSourceCMS.com Experiment locally Follow the forums at Drupal.org Join a Drupal Group (http://groups.drupal.org) Check out the competition Ultimately: Bend the CMS to your needs (& not the other way around)

Try "Sandboxes" at OpenSourceCMS.com

Experiment locally

Follow the forums at Drupal.org

Join a Drupal Group (http://groups.drupal.org)

Check out the competition

Ultimately: Bend the CMS to your needs (& not the other way around)

Happy Drupaling! Leo Robert Klein leo 'at' leoklein 'dot' com msn/aim/ghoo/yhoo: 'leorobertklein' www.ChicagoLibrarian.com

Leo Robert Klein

leo 'at' leoklein 'dot' com