New web site, new opportunities: Enforcing standards compliance within a content management system

Purpose - This article sets out to describe the background behind WIT Libraries' recently launched new-look web site: its origins, implementations and long-term goals, and explain how the library is using a new web content management system to its best advantage, particularly in terms of compliance with web standards and guidelines. Design/methodology/approach - This case study reports on the use of a web content management system to develop the new library web site. It describes the move from an existing site, where the main focus was on visual impact to the new site, which also focuses on providing open and equitable access to information for all users. Findings - Concludes by stating that the new library web site, as managed by the content management system, adheres to accessibility standards, which the old site, managed in a less efficient way, could not maintain. Research limitations/implications - The project is still in development. The study provides a short-term view of one small academic library's experience of implementing a usable and fully accessible web site. Practical implications - This account of WIT Libraries' experience of working with a content management system to develop a usable and fully accessible web site is likely to be a useful source of practical information for organisations in similar positions, faced with similar challenges of a comparable scale. Originality/value - Offers practical insights for libraries in similar positions, showing them how successful transference of the library web site to a web content management system can include having excellent compliance with web standards and accessibility guidelines.