2008 Web Site Report

June 21, 2008

Elli Mylonas

In the last year, the ACH web has been kept up to date with information about officers, candidate statements and conference events.

• I have started to compile information about the past officers of the association, and put them in a table that can form part of an ACH history

• The website was moved wholesale to the new server, along with the rest of the ADHO web sites.

• I have sent a plan for the redesign of the website to the executive council for comment (Feb. 27, 2008) and received some useful comments.

Redesign of ACH website

Since the email on how the site might be updated so that it is more informative, attractive and generally useful seemed to acceptable to the EC, I have solicited a quote from Ann Loyer, the graphic and information designer I'd like to work with. She proposes the following:

Timeline & Budget

1. Research / definition

• Review other sites

• Review existing site

• Outline needs

• Create site plan

2. Meet to review above

3. Create sketches (2-4 variations)

4. Meet to review above

5. Modify and develop final design

6. Review above

7. Final build out: coding by STG student with my review

Steps 1 and 2 can be completed for $1500. 2-4 design sketches will be prepared so that the EC can comment. If ACH is then ready to move forward with the design, including one round of changes/design modifications, step 3-6 can be completed by August for an additional $950. It does not make sense to put a date on the completion of the site, as this will depend on whether further design revisions are needed, and student availability. If no revisions are needed, I estimate my involvement to be minimal in the build out, and should cost about $150.

Estimated total: $2600

Additionally, I would like to pay a student $600 to code the site.

I would like to request $3200 for the redesign and implementation of the ACH website. Ann can work on the design in July, and I have a student available to me in August.

Note that as part of the redisgn, I will work with Dot to determine what should be on the website and what should be on the wiki, as well as what should be protected.

Possible special projects

In my original email to the EC, I suggested some special projects that would add value to the ACH website and make it a useful destination. The main one that I would like to pursue once the website redesign is complete is to revive and update the searchable set of conference abstracts that was on ACHWeb in the past. This would likely cost about another $1000 most of which would be spent on gathering and munging the abstracts, and trying to locate and digitize materials from older conferences. This would take place over the course of the 2008-9 academic year, and be complete by April 2009.

Web/Information committee

I would be glad of a small committee consisting of the Secretary, the Web Keeper, and one other interested EC member, who could provide advice and feedback on web development and web content.

Request for Technical support and guidance

I'd like to register a request with the Publications Committee for ADHO that we identify software and people who install and maintain it, that we all can use in developing web sites and web content. I am eager to have ACH Web be part of the pack in how it's developed, and benefit from the work that others are doing.

-- Main.JuliaFlanders - 21 Jun 2008