Be All You Can Be: An Introduction to Building a My Kansas Library on the Web site with WordPress

1. Wordpress
My Kansas Library on the Web: KLOW
Maribeth Shafer and Gail Santy, Central Kansas Library System
Technology Day 2015

2. The My Kansas Library project allows public libraries across the state to
have access to high end web-based tools to facilitate easy web
development.
Translation: It’s a way to make your library’s website all that it can be and
more by giving you easy to use tools that are accessible from ANYWHERE
there is an Internet connection.
My Kansas Library is a service jointly sponsored by the Kansas Regional
Library Systems and the State Library of Kansas.
It is FREE to public libraries in Kansas.

4. http://www.mykansaslibrary.org/kansas-klow-sites/
KLOW Websites
http://www.wetmorepubliclibrary.org/ (needs to be updated more frequently, or
the home page needs to be static)
http://prescott.mykansaslibrary.org/ (clean, simple interface)
http://cgpl.mykansaslibrary.org/ (notice the URL, local interest, online resources
on right sidebar)
http://overbrook.mykansaslibrary.org/ (hours, contact information)
http://cimarroncitylibrary.org/ (clean interface, linked to Google Docs, calendar
widget for Google Calendar)
http://arma.mykansaslibrary.org/
http://www.cclibraryks.org/ (calendar widget, dropdown menu)
http://bonnerlibrary.org/ (slideshow widgets, paid theme)
http://www.greatbendpl.info/ (brand new site)
http://www.lyndonlibrary.org/ (Readers Advisory, links to state databases)
http://basehorlibrary.org/ (modern theme adaptive to mobile devices, heavily
customized)
http://mclouth.mykansaslibrary.org/ (simple, clean)

17. Akismet – Spam fighting, requires a free Akismet account to get a key for it to
work
Cforms – Form processor
Ninja Forms – Form processor
Events Manager – calendar of events, registration for events, creates many
widgets to use to publicize events
Wordpress Editorial Calendar – way to plan out blog posts over a calendar
interface
Google Analyticator – way to include Google Analytics in your blog
Google Analytics for WordPress – way to include Google Analytics in your blog
WP-Stats – non-Google statistics plugin
Image Widget – gives you an easy to use image widget that takes an image and
a link, does not require HTML coding to work
Jetpack – Large plugin that does a number of useful things
KLOW Plugin Repository

18. Images
Adding an image to a website or blog post makes it more popular – more people get drawn
into the content when you have a picture to go along with your words.
How do you find the right image?
http://search.creativecommons.org/ to search Flickr, Fotopedia, Google’s Image Search,
Open Clip Art Library and Pixababy.
http://www.compfight.com to search through all kinds of images with specific copyright
terms.
How do you know if you can use it?
You can actually use any image marked with any of the Creative Commons (CC) licenses –
since we are libraries, we are non-commercial entities and, as long as you don’t alter the
image at all and give credit to the person who made it, we can use any CC licensed image.
How do you make sure you are using it correctly?
Use photo editing software to resize the image for web optimization. ALWAYS link to the
creator.

19. All of the KLOW (Kansas Library on the Web) sites are built on a WordPress.
You can build a “blog” or a “static” site.
Blog- regular posts
You regularly post new content to your website. New programs, new books, etc.
Static- doesn’t need to be updated often
If you are not able to post at least once or twice a month, go static.
Your static page will have all your vital information (hours, address, contact info,
etc.) on it and nothing else
Blog or Static

20. Get started: My Kansas Library on the Web, Domain Name
Get comfy: Reader, Dashboard, Menus
Get personality: Themes
Get flashy: Custom Header, Widgets, Custom Colors and Fonts
Get published: Create Posts, Pages, and Menus
Get connected: Tags, Readers, Social Network Sharing
Get mobile: Post from your tablet or smartphone
Let’s Get Going!

21. Website Work Day for Newbies
For those libraries which have recently requested a new KLOW site, we plan to
offer introductory training throughout 2016.
Website Work Days will be your opportunity to build your website from scratch,
select a theme, learn the difference between pages and posts, select menus, and
get cozy with the Dashboard.
Website Work Days will be offered at CKLS in the Dane G. Hansen Media Center.
Sign up for one session or sign up for the entire series. This is your opportunity to
get your feet wet and learn Wordpress from the ground up at a slower pace with
lots of hand holding and encouragement.

22. Website Work Day- ongoing training
It’s always more fun and a lot less like ‘work’ to tackle a task with other people around…
so, if you feel like you would like to spend some quality time with your KLOW website,
consider attending Website Work Day ongoing training.
Ongoing training will help you learn more intermediate and advanced features of
Wordpress. These features will help you take your library website to the next leveI.
Look for topics about website best practices, adding content, optimizing photos,
calendars, online forms, slideshows, traffic analytics, links to online resources, and
more.
The CKLS Dane G. Hansen Media Center will be open, breakfast will be served and
friendly, helpful CKLS staff will be here to help you add widgets, code HTML or pick a
brand new theme for your website.