The Digital Library Federation has completed work with eCoreExperience to develop a new website. While the site is acceptable and will go live soon, there are many aspects of it which should be further polished. I propose to provide some of my time to DLF each month to work through remaining issues with regard to the web site.
Setting priorities
During the first week of each month I will have a conversation with Barrie Howard at DLF to review progress and agree on priority issues to be resolved during that month. I will document these priorities here on http://eric.clst.org/DLF and record progress by the end of each month. The record on the web will constitute my monthly report of issues addressed.
Some issues we already know face us include: adding a global privacy statement, identifying and integrating a backup system, adding Google search functionality, enhancing design features, improving interoperability with assistive technologies and flexibility for display in a variety of browsers, and investigating options for improving performance issues related to interoperability the CMS and DLF’s DreamHost.com web hosting service.
Troubleshooting
In addition to dealing with the issues prioritized at the beginning of each month, I will be available to DLF staff for troubleshooting the site and answering questions about workflow options. The staff can contact me via email or telephone and I will do my best to respond quickly, though I can make no specific commitment about the rapidity or success with which I will be able to address problems.
Timeline
I propose that I commit more time to this task in the early months of the contract, weaning DLF of a dependency on my assistance as the contract concludes. To this end, I will make two days of my time available in each of the first two months of 2009, and one day a month available through June. This contract would conclude at the end of June 2009.
Costs
The total cost of this contract will come to $8,000. I will invoice $2,000 at the end of January and February 2009, $1,000 at the end of March, April, May, and June.
Eric Celeste
Eric brings over 15 years of library and 25 years of technology experience to his consulting. At MIT Eric shepherded the creation of DSpace, open source digital repository management software developed with HP and now deployed at hundreds of institutions worldwide. At the University of Minnesota Libraries he encouraged the development of the UThink blog service, a wiki-based staff intranet, LibData, and the University Digital Conservancy. He works with non-profit institutions on appropriate uses of technology for informing, communicating, and collaborating with their constituencies.
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