Library Blogs using Word Press

1. Library Blogs using WordPress Greg Sennema Electronic Services Librarian Wilfrid Laurier University Session 1318

2. Library Blogs using WordPress • why use a blog • choosing blog software • what is WordPress • installing WordPress • using WordPress • customizing WordPress – themes • customizing WordPress – plugins • WordPress resources

3. Why use a Blog • More than just a personal story platform… • Organizational stories, news, highlights • Parse content maintenance to staff • Parse content into web site, make current • Picked up in blog search engines • RSS is a core function of a blog

4. Why use a Blog – Examples

5. Why use a Blog – Examples

6. Why use a Blog – Examples

7. Why use a Blog – Examples

8. Why use a Blog – Examples

9. Why use a Blog – Examples

10. Why use a Blog – Examples

11. Choosing Blog software • Criteria for choosing blogging software? • what are the required technical skills needed to install and edit • what does it offer for site navigation: pages, categories • can posts be easily created and modified • can pictures and multimedia be easily uploaded • can posts and comments be displayed, turned on/off • can posts be moderated before published • can the blog generate RSS feeds • can the appearance and layout be easily changed • is there technical support • is it locally or remotely hosted • does it provide usage statistics

12. Choosing Blog software • “We need to get up and running quickly, without technical skills…” • WordPress (hosted) • TypePad $ • “We want to tailor the blog, and someone technical can help set it up, • but non-tech-savvy folks will be posting.” • Blogger • TypePad $ • WordPress (installed) • “Our organization is pretty technical all around, and we want the most • flexibility in a blogging tool.” • WordPress (installed) • TextPattern • ExpressionEngine $ Source: “Getting Started with Blogging Software” www.idealware.org/blogging_software

13. Choosing Blog software Hosted or Installed?

14. Choosing Blog software (free, hosted) Source: “Getting Started with Blogging Software” www.idealware.org/blogging_software

15. Choosing Blog software (free, hosted) Blogger.com WordPress.com • owned by • appearance easily customized • navigation bar • no categories • large open source community • choose from 54 themes ($ to edit) • no navigation bar • categories

16. Choosing Blog software (free, hosted)

17. Choosing Blog software (free, hosted)

18. Choosing Blog software (free, hosted)

19. Choosing Blog software (free, installed) Source: “Getting Started with Blogging Software” www.idealware.org/blogging_software

20. Choosing Blog software (free, installed) evolution WordPress.com • supports multiple blogs • appearance easily customized • categories • small (but growing) user group • single blog per install • appearance easily customized • categories • large user group

21. What is WordPress • WordPress started in 2003 [and] has grown to be the largest self-hosted • blogging tool in the world, used on hundreds of thousands of sites and • seen by tens of millions of people every day. • Everything about WordPress was created by and for the community. • WordPress is an Open Source project, which means there are hundreds • of people all over the world working on it (more than most commercial • platforms.) It also means you are free to use it for anything from your • cat’s home page to a Fortune 500 web site without paying a license fee. • Large user community and completely customizable (themes and plugins) Source: wordpress.org/about/

22. Installing WordPress – Requirements • web server (virtually any!) • PHP version 4.2 or greater • MySQL version 4.0 or greater

23. Installing WordPress – Steps • http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress. • WordPress Installed for Free • Things to Know Before You Begin Installing WordPress • The Famous 5-Minute Installation. • Detailed Installation Instructions • Common Installation Problems • WordPress in Your Language • Installing WordPress in Your Language • How to Install Multiple Blogs • How to Install WordPress Locally • Getting Started with WordPress (much more installation info)

24. Installing WordPress – Steps

25. Installing WordPress – Steps

26. Installing WordPress – Steps

27. Using WordPress • Dashboard • making posts • writing pages • administration

28. Using WordPress

29. Using WordPress

30. Using WordPress

31. Using WordPress

32. Customizing WordPress – Themes • Hosted: plug and play • Installed: acquire, plug, tweak, and play • Requires understanding of CSS and PHP

33. Customizing WordPress – Themes

34. Customizing WordPress – Themes

35. Customizing WordPress – Themes

36. Customizing WordPress – Themes

37. Customizing WordPress – Themes

38. Customizing WordPress – Themes

39. Customizing WordPress – Themes Source: wordpress.org/about

40. Customizing WordPress – Themes

41. Customizing WordPress – Themes

42. Customizing WordPress – Themes

43. Customizing WordPress – Themes

44. Customizing WordPress – Themes

45. Customizing WordPress – Plugins • Hosted: plug and play • Installed: acquire, plug, tweak, and play

46. Customizing WordPress – Plugins Source: codex.wordpress.org/Plugins

47. Customizing WordPress – Plugins

48. Customizing WordPress – Plugins

49. Customizing WordPress – Plugins

50. Customizing WordPress – Plugins