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25th Anniversary 1978-2003

Vol. 25, No.3/Spring 2003

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Intranet Q&A: The Modesto Bee

By Leigh Poitinger
With Melissa Van Diepen, Modesto Bee

How was the Modesto Bee's library intranet started?

Brainstorming began in 1998 for The Information Center's Web site. It was the vision of then-Chief Librarian Iris Carroll. The Bee already had a viable framework that was available, but it was hardly used. Dave Livingston, one of our assistant librarians, has a strong background in coding. He did the bulk of coding for our pages. Design and organizational ideas for the site came from everyone. For several months we looked at various Web pages, including the intranet examples posted on the News Division Web site, to come up with our design. Once we had the basic layout decided, Dave got to work coding pages. We relied heavily on our own personal bookmarks and reporters suggestions to decide what Web sites to add to Honey Pot.

A screenshot of The Modesto Bee's intranet.

Homepage for The Modesto Bee Library intranet, Honey Pot. To view a larger version of the screen shot, click on it.

How did the site get its name?

When the site was first launched, we simply called it "The Modesto Bee Information Center Intranet." After reading a thread on Newslib about getting reporters to buy into library intranets, we decided to have a contest to name our site. So in 2001, we had reporters and editors submit name ideas to us. We received over 60 potential names. Once we compiled the list, the Info Center staff got together and picked ten names we liked best and then put them up for a newsroom vote. One of my assistant librarians created a cool online poll that we posted on the site. We allowed people to vote for one week. The top vote-getter was "Honey Pot" and we went with it. Then we had one of our talented graphic artists create a logo for us to post on the site.

Is the Web site for the newsroom only or does it contain company-wide or corporate-wide information?

The newsroom uses our site the most. However, because our text archive system is linked off of Honey Pot, other people in the building use it as well. We have a couple of links to other McClatchy newspapers and our corporate intranet as well.

What are the main content areas on the site?

The first main area is our Beats section. We have reference resources broken down and organized into 24 specific beats. Beat subjects range from agriculture to crime to religion to work. The main thought behind this was to provide an easy way for reporters to find useful Web sites. Our second main area is our text/images section. Here we have links to our text archive, photo archive, the archives of the Fresno Bee and Sacramento Bee, AP archives etc. Lastly, we have sort of a mish-mash of resources under the headings of General Reference, Government, Journalism & the Media, People Finding, CAR & Public Records, User Guides, and Policy Guidelines. General Reference is one of our most widely used resources on the site. I am constantly getting feedback about the dictionaries, encyclopedias, calculators and other material we have linked.

Describe the library's role in the creation and maintenance of the library intranet.

We designed it, created it and continue to maintain it, adding new tools all the time. I handle the content and Dave Livingston does the bulk of coding. However, I do site updates when he is on vacation or swamped with other things. Our site ranges from simple reference sites to newsroom memos to source databases. Overall, we were the visionaries for the site.

We use a basic HTML editor to keep the pages updated. We also use software called Search Maker Pro that indexes every page on our site. Search Maker then generates a search engine that allows people to search our site. We use Filemaker Pro to post in-house databases. Right now we have a war contacts database online and we are looking at linking several other databases off Honey Pot.

How often is the content updated?

We really don't have an established schedule for updating information on the site. It usually never goes beyond a month or so.

Do you keep site usage statistics?

No, but I have a pretty good idea about what people use and don't use on the site just by talking with reporters and editors.

What technical challenges did you face in designing the site and creating access to it?

We were really lucky that there was already a framework in place for a company-wide intranet. All we really had to do was contact our IT department to find out what areas were designated for the newsroom and we went with it. Had we not had that in place, it would have been much more challenging for us.

Has the site gone through any major redesigns?

Currently, we are embarking on a long overdue redesign. I have been spending a lot of time looking at what other people are doing to get ideas on what we can and should do to make the site even more user friendly.

My goal is two-fold: A site that is easy to update and easy to use. Minimal clicking is key. It seems the more a user has to click to get somewhere, the less likely they are to return to the site.

What tips would you offer to libraries with a limited budget and/or staff time to devote to an intranet?

It doesn't take much to start an intranet site. Really, all you need is a basic text editor, some basic HTML knowledge, some good reference links and a good PC or intranet framework and you can be off and running.

Another tip: it doesn't have to be fancy. Bells and whistles are nice but when it comes down to it, the content matters most.

Melissa Van Diepen is Chief Librarian at The Modesto Bee. You can contact her at mvandiepen@modbee.com.


Interested in having your library intranet profiled? Or are you curious about a particular library's intranet? Send suggestions to Leigh Poitinger at lpoitinger@mercurynews.com.


Last Updated: 05/04/03
Ron Larson
rlarson@madison.com