The Content Management Handbook

Citation

Osorio, N.L. (2006), "The Content Management Handbook", Collection Building, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 66-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604950610658883

This book is based on the author's extensive experience working with content management systems (CMS), and his motivation is to highlight the importance of CMS in an organization and to help readers understand the risks of deploying an ill‐considered system. This handbook, the author says, “is about the differences, benefits and risks of content management software and content management systems.”

The handbook covers all the basic steps in a CMS project. The basic elements of content management software functionality are presented in Chapter 2. It indicates how all CMS products offer a general set of functions but in different ways and that the selection of a software has to be based on the benefits its implementation will have on the organization. In Chapter 3 White discusses how information architecture and metadata must meet certain basic requirements and suggests methodologies in developing information architecture, metadata schemes and usability tests. The next chapter is about developing a content management strategy. This strategy, according to White, should meet the needs of both the organization and the users; it should reflect how information flows in the organization; and should be carried out on a collaborative basis.The chapter on technology options and costs shows how commercial CMS products or open‐source software can be utilized in a CMS project; it also alerts people to the additional cost of implementation. Chapter 6 deals with the strategies for making a business case to upper management; it emphasizes that this plan has to be linked to corporate objectives and the need to have a senior person sponsor the project. Chapter 7 summarizes the current status of the CMS industry; and includes a selective list of vendors. The management and implementation of the project are presented in Chapters 8 and 10. These two chapters present topics such as expected problems and success factors, and risk management. A complete list of main elements for project implementation is available. As part of the implementation stage the book covers: scheduling, communication channels, training needs, site design, accessibility content migration, and managing risks and problems.

Writing a statement of requirements is introduced in Chapter 9 as a document necessary for the evaluation of CMS vendors proposals. The selection process discussed in the next chapter is tied to the statement of requirements. Finally, the topic of Chapter 11 is content migration. In the last chapter there is a list of resources on content management including books, reports and web sites.

This handbook is recommended for CMS managers, practitioners, information architects, students, analysts and consultants. It is a title that should be found in academic libraries with strong business and information technology collections and in large public libraries.

Nestor L. Osorio

Northern Illinois University, De Kallo, Ilinois, USA