Whole Library
Some libraries may have significant investment in static web methods, driven by digital teams who largely adopt Lib-Static type approaches. This does not necessarily mean they build/rebuild all library digital infrastructure using static web, but that multiple librarians and other personnel understand the concepts, are interested in exploring static solutions, and regularly collaborate on implementing them. Libraries pursuing a Lib-Static approach will carefully evaluate infrastructure choices and pragmatically decide to pursue static web projects that meet their needs.
This does not mean that the library at large understands that their web approach is unique or interesting in any way, since large parts of library staff (who do not directly interact with production of web properties) will not directly experience any difference from more conventional models of development. This also does not mean that the digital librarians are aware of or actively taking part in a secretive Lib-Static revolution to transform infrastructure. Static web methods have been in existence since the very beginning of the web (were in fact the beginning of the web), and have been adopted in many forms in many places.
Recommendations:
- find a supportive administrative champion. They can get excited about transforming infrastructure for a variety of reasons such as costs, skill building, open movements, accessibility, agility, empowerment, or innovation. Once excited they can help enable librarians to pursue professional development and empower with initiative.
- find more than one contributor and learn together.
- don’t let outside developers do it all, build skills in house with digital librarians and make pragmatic decisions around them.
- don’t let ITS get in the way. Providing a static server is simple and secure, they should be happy to enable this work! Make sure collaborators have admin access to install stuff on their computers and access to a static server.
- communicate with library at large, let them know about the aspirations and possibilities, invite them to contribute via spreadsheets and markdown and general feedback/testing.
- plan to spend a lot of time teaching.
- teach outside of digital library units to find new collaborators.
- reuse your project code, let it percolate through the org web properties, most things you learn can power other solutions.
contributor:
Evan Peter Williamson (University of Idaho Library)
last update: 2021-08-04