WordPress Crash Course:What is it and how can your library use it?

June 14, 2012

Polly-Alida Farrington

Amanda Goodman

flickr.com/photos/ericmmartin/2986187518

Big thanks to:• Kyle Jones• Amanda Goodman• Dan Freeman

alatechsource.org/

Today’s topics

• What is WordPress • What’s a Content Management System• Sites that use WordPress• Why WordPress is a great choice for libraries• Flavors of WordPress    • Nuts and Bolts of WordPress• Menus and navigation options• Security and site administration• Getting help: the WordPress community

“…having a web presence, no–

that having a really good and

really useful web presence–is

[no longer] optional.

Joyce Valenza, “Things I think teacher librarians should unlearn (20 & counting)”, August 24th, 2010

Photo CC by Caveman http://flic.kr/p/66Q4Xo

WordCamp 2006!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/2913018697_ccbb33e993_b.jpg

What is WordPress?

Open Source is Unlocked

www.flickr.com/photos/subcircle/500995147/

Open Source is Community

www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/170691672

Content Management System

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atibens/4578260998/

Header

FeatureSlider

Sidebar

News Post

News Post

Sidebar

Header

Who uses WordPress?

http://en.wordpress.com/stats/ (as of 2012 May 27)

http://trends.builtwith.com/cms (as of 2012 May 27)

http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/

http://www.qcrg.net/

Why WordPress?

Web Based Admin

Spread the work around

Easy to add contributors

Simpler admin for contributors

Easy to add external content

Invite & control commenting

Users access content their way

Mobile-friendly

http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com http://android.wordpress.org/

Creativity & Flexibility

www.flickr.com/photos/nattu/895220635/

Before WordPress

www.flickr.com/photos/24842486@N07/4375175725/

After WordPress

www.flickr.com/photos/glaciertim/4380929192/

Flavors of WordPress

Hosted for Free

WordPress.com -- Hosted

Premium Themes

Self-Hosted

Self-Hosted In House

• Cost of server• Maintenance• IT support• Unlimited possibilities

Self-HostedCommercial Service

• Around $10-20/month• Easy install• Tech support

For more hosts: http://wordpress.org/hosting/

Technical Requirements

• Current WordPress Version 3.3.2• Linux & Apache (preferred)• MySQL version 5.0 or greater • PHP version 5.2.4 or greater

MultiSite Install

BuddyPress.org

Interview with Michael Stephens & Kenley Neufeld about BuddyPress in the classroom: http://bit.ly/wpbuddypress

Let’s Build a Site

Posts News articles, timely, up-to-date, frequently changing.

Pages Static pages, timeless info, about, contact, policies, services, etc.

Comments Notes from your readers

Basic Types of Content

3rd Party Content

More about: Plugins

Add functionality & features

WordPress.com StatsRequires API code from WordPress.com

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/

Akismet

Requires API code from WordPress.com http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet/

OpenBook Book Data

johnmiedema.ca/portfolio/openbook-wordpress-plugin/

WP Contact Form Plugin

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-contact-form/

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/the-events-calendar/

Events & Calendars

http://eventespresso.com/

More about: Themes

Themes

http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

Modify a theme

Change color & size

Inspect Element

Child Themes

http://wpcharity.com/

More about: Security & Site Administration

Don’t leave the door unlocked

Run the latest version

www.flickr.com/photos/maistora/3237164755

Keep it Safe

Back it up!

Backup your database:Via web host control panelOr wp-db-backup plugin

(wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/)

FTP to server & make a copy of this directory: /wp-content

WordPress in LibrariesExamples

(http://lib20.pbworks.com/classes-wordpress-websites)

http://friendsofspl.wordpress.com

http://cheshirelibrary.org/

http://library-online.org.uk/

http://library.sbcc.edu/

http://libraries.umw.edu/

http://library.arlingtonva.us/

http://library.castilleja.org/

http://tscpl.org/

More about: Getting Started

Start Playing!

• WordPress.comGreat place to play, test and maybe host your live site

• InstantWP.comDownload to your PC and run self-hosted WordPress server locally

• WebEnabled.com30-day free trial of hosting

• Bitnami.orgDownload to your PC or Mac and run self-hosted WordPress server locally

Getting Help

• WordPress Codex http://codex.wordpress.org/

• WordPress Forums http://wordpress.org/support/

• WordPress FAQ’s http://codex.wordpress.org/FAQ

• New to WordPress? http://codex.wordpress.org/FAQ_New_To_WordPress

Selected WP Books

• Digging into WordPress by Jeff Starr & Chris Coyier (digwp.com)

• Beginning WordPress 3 by Stephanie Leary

• Smashing WordPress by Thord Hedengren

Thank you!

More information & resources athttp://lib20.pbworks.com/classes-wordpress-websites

Amanda Goodnmanamanda@godaisies.com

http://www.godaisies.com

Polly-Alida Farrington polly@pafa.net

http://www.pafa.net