28 August 2008

sortable html table with widget

From: http://www.dhtmlgoodies.com/index.html?showDownload=true&whichScript=table_widget

How to use

You create the table by use of plain HTML as shown in the textaera code for <BODY>. What's important is that you:


  1. Have a parent div like this: <div class="widget_tableDiv">

  2. Use a <THEAD> tag as parent of your header row.

  3. Use <TD> and not <TH> as tags for your header content

  4. Use a <TBODY> as parent of your table data rows(<TR>).

Look in the example for further help.

The last thing you have to do is to call the javascript function initTableWidget() which "converts" the table. Example:


<script type="text/javascript">

initTableWidget('myTable',500,250,Array('S','N',false,'N','S'));

</script>


The arguments you send to this function are:

  1. 'myTable' = The ID of your table. example: <TABLE id="myTable" ...

  2. 500 = Width of table widget

  3. 250 = Height of table widget

  4. Array('S','N','S','N','S') = An array telling how the columns should be sorted. "S" = String, "N" = Numeric.
    Use false(without quotes) instead of "S" and "N" if you have columns that shouldn't be sorted at all.



25 August 2008

Worldcat API

Worldcat API
August 18, 2008

The Worldcat API was released beyond the original trial group while I was away.The WorldCat Search API provides access to WorldCat bibliographic records and holdings using the FRBR concepts to pull together various editions of the same work. The API provides access to the WorldCat databases from clients that can send RESTful URI queries with either the OpenSearch or SRU protocols and can accept RSS, Atom, MARC XML or Dublin Core [WorldCat Search API [OCLC - Web and Data Services]] Technical details are here; eligible users described here....

23 July 2008

Reminder re: Jakob Nielsen alerts

I forget to look often enough at the studies done by or reviewed by Jakob Nielsen. I was reminded today when we discussed where to place links on the library website to our Research Guides (libguides).

From one of the more recent alerts:
How Little Do Users Read?
"On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.

We've known since our first studies of how users read on the Web that they typically don't read very much. Scanning text is an extremely common behavior for higher-literacy users; our recent eyetracking studies further validate this finding....

Among other things, the authors found that the Back button is now only the 3rd most-used feature on the Web. Clicking hypertext links remains the most-used feature, but clicking buttons (on the page) has now overtaken Back to become the second-most used feature. The reason for this change is the increased prevalence of applications and feature-rich Web pages that require users to click page buttons to access their functionality. "

Oh, and the original reason for looking at Nielsen's site was to find the information about usability tester numbers. See
Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users

18 July 2008

Choose your own homepage look

Ellie sent this out and I really like this idea. Don't know if it is practical for us but something to think about.

http://www.librarybytes.com/2008/07/homepage-preferences.html

Quick jump to page she talks about. See Full and Simple tabs on the right.

Queens Public Libary

19 June 2008

Encore for Libraries

Just documenting this iii site:

http://www.encoreforlibraries.com/main.html

Has the information re: encore libraries, et.

16 June 2008

How people read web screens

Lazy Bastards How we read online.




http://www.slate.com/id/2193552/

Interesting information about how people scan web pages for points that draw their attention, like:
  • bolding
  • bullets
  • links within paragraphs
Gives links to other resouces such as Jakob Neilsen's stuff. Might be a handy reference.

02 June 2008

Workflow and library services

Another thought-provoking blog entry by Lorcan Dempsey:
Workflow is an intermediate consumer
May 31, 2008

I have been using the following contrast in presentations for a while. This is to make a distinction between library services - or any other service for that matter - in a pre-network age, and such services now. Then: people were prepared to build their workflows around library services. Now: the library must be prepared to build its services around people's workflows. This is to try to capture succinctly a recurrent theme in these pages. This shift is because people are increasingly building their workflows - or learnflows, or researchflows. ... - on the network. In some cases through a bricolage of desktop and network tools (e.g. toolbars, rss feeds, social networking sites, search engines, etc); in some cases through prefabricated workflow environments (e.g. course management systems, ...). Where resources are not easily available to those workflows, they may not be used. Of course, putting library services in those flows is not straightforward .... It does mean that the library needs to think about 'intermediate consumers' - those workflows and applications that may sit between the library and its users (search engines, RSS aggregators, course management systems, search engines, social networking sites, cell phones, etc).

22 April 2008

Automation System Marketplace 2008

Automation System Marketplace 2008: Opportunity Out of Turmoil

[note to Richard Smith and Julie Todaro]
This is an excellent article (Library Journal, 4/1/2008) summarizing the state of library automation companies and interfaces. We need to be thinking ahead and there are some real changes on the horizon. Should we continue to be a turnkey system? If not, then we need folks dedicated to "library content management" and programming for delivery of information to our users. --mp

Thanks to Ellie for sending the link:
www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6542440.html

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Library Journal Article on Automation
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:46:07 -0500
From: Ellie Collier
To: Margaret Peloquin , Cherry Beth Luedtke


Have you seen the April Library Journal? - http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6542440.html

19 April 2008

Wiki for Ad Hoc Group (ResearchGuides)

I've set up a wiki to help facilitate the implementation process.

I chose PBWiki because the new version allows the creation of folders to organize the site. The url to the site:

http://ResGuide.pbwiki.com

The userlist for the wiki is composed of the Ref Group and the Web Cmte.

The next steps are to
  1. Develop a list of guides
  2. Determine the essential elements of a typical guide.

17 April 2008

LibGuides - ResearchGuides

LibGuides - other institutions

Here is a link to the Springshare site that lists institutions using LibGuides. Also give information as to how many they have.

http://libguides.com/selectsite.php?libguides.com



What to do next????

I'm pondering how to proceed next with formulating a plan to gather information and form a consensus with the Ad Hoc group. What question(s) should we address next? These are the kinds of things we need to decide.
  • Original assumption is/was that we replace two web products with one, i.e., Research Shortcuts and W3 pages. Should we continue with this assumption as the first step?
  • If so, then we need to develop a list of the ResearchGuides needed.
    • Will that be the entire W3 list?
    • Or, will it be some kind of hybrid? For example, will we have a libguide for each health sciences area?
    • Or, will we have one guide that is health sciences and a tab for each area. (I know that somewhere I've seen an example of subtabs. Aha! I found one.http://libguides.acadiau.ca/content.php?pid=1254)
  • After this first group of things, we may want to use the ResearchGuides for other things like documentation guides or other study guides.
  • Should I be this vague with the Ad Hoc group or should we develop a firmer list of questions amongst this committee and then approach the Ad Hoc group?

24 March 2008

Thoughts about integrated web presence

http://orweblog.oclc.org/archives/001583.html

Blog entry from Lorcan Dempsey about the UCD Library Web initiative. From his blog entry:
"...Reading the document two general questions came through for me (expressed in my words):How does one create some unity of approach across the resources to be presented, in terms both of management and presentation? Some of this discussion is about whether it makes sense to move away from a web-page list/browse presentation to a more managed environment for particular resources. Examples would be moving all electronic resources into Metalib or using LibGuides for library subject guides. I was struck by this comment about the catalogue:We have taken it for granted that the catalogue as a separate search interface can happily retain a different look and feel from the website and other interfaces but many of our users do not differentiate the online library platforms in this way..."

19 March 2008

Using a Web-Based CMS

FEATURE (Computers in Libraries Vol. 28 No. 3 — March 2008)
From Static to Dynamic — Choosing and Implementing a Web-Based CMS
by Ruth Kneale

Interesting and thorough article about seeking and implementing a CMS for a web site.
http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/mar08/Kneale.shtml

17 March 2008

Research Shortcuts + W3 pages

Research Shortcuts + W3 pages =
"Course Pages" or "Library Research Guides"

We have identified a need to upgrade what we do with our current research help pages:

  • Research Shortcuts
  • Web Pages Recommended by Reference Librarians
Benefits to the Students and other library users:
  • The current approach requires students to go to two different and unequal places to get research help for specific subjects. Research Shortcuts and Web Pages Recommended by Librarians
  • This would be an opportunity to adopt a fresher, Web 2.0, approach and might garner new users.
  • There would be a more uniform presentation of information to the user.
    • As an added note: LibGuides look can be customized to our own look
Benefits to Librarians:
  • Reference librarians who are already time-challenged must update pages in two different places when they could maintain only one and provide users with more options.
  • When responsibilities for pages change, the transition would be made easier since the essential information and format would remain the same.
  • This tool is mostly modular and automated so librarians would not need to develop another skill set.

Resources reviewed:

Upon recommendations from our own librarians and various blogs, wikis, webcasts, and discussion lists, Margaret investigated several things that other libraries use. These are the things that rose to the top and some comment.

Things we did not choose (See below) || What we chose (LibGuides)

Notes on things we did not choose



What we chose

27 February 2008

Improving a web site

Melinda sent this link. It has interesting information. Fortunately, we do most of the things which are pertinent to us on the list.

25 Ways To Improve Your Site In 5 Minutes

http://fadtastic.net/2008/02/12/25-ways-to-improve-your-site-in-5-minutes/



26 February 2008

Web Opac "Spellcheck" problems

Update:
email from iii tech help summarized....

The first issue listed below has been reported to the software engineers as a legitimate problem.

In regards to the second issue: spellcheck works only with the advanced search protocol
<form action="/search/X" method="get">
and will not work with the quick or simple search protocol which is what I had on opacmenu, mainmenu, and Quick Search. So, the protocol was changed on opacmenu and mainmenu.

Spellcheck is working now within the parameters listed above. mp (4/17/08)

Advanced Keyword Search (srchhelp_X)

-- It works OK in Firefox but has a problem in IE7. Here is the issue:
  • If one uses the boxes and enters a misspelling in one of the boxes say "brhk" in one and "microbiology" in the other -- or a misspelling in both (doesn't matter).
  • Spellcheck correctly asks "Did you mean born and microbiology? more » "
  • If you choose "more," you are presented with options.
  • However, if you choose not to use any of those options, but instead, enter correct terms in the boxes, and submit -- it will not search those terms.
NOTE: The same search sequence does work correctly in Firefox.
NOTE2: The simple keyword search (srchhelp_Y) does work correctly in both Firefox and IE7.

Mainmenu / Opacmenu / Simple [Quick] Keyword Search (srchhelp_Y)

-- On our server, these three files are exactly the same, but named differently as indicated above.
  • Now, when you open the catalog in Staging (http://alicat.austincc.edu:2082/), the opening and Start Over screens do not display properly since I've added the spellcheck token.
  • However, if you actually type in the whole url (e.g., http://alicat.austincc.edu:2082/screens/opacmenu.html), the screen will display and work properly. And, if you click on the link to the Quick Keyword Search from the Advanced Keyword Search screen, that page (srchhelp_Y) will display and work correctly.
NOTE: This problem occurs in both Firefox and in IE7.

20 February 2008

More changes to the Opac

Enabling display of the 245|p

Eureka! changing a token in the briefcit.html worked even if changing the wwwoption didn't. I changed the line from
<!--{linkfieldspec:Vbt245ab}--> to <!--{linkfieldspec:Vbt245abp}-->

Check how it looks in the regular catalog now 'cause I'm changing this tonight (2/20/08). Do a keyword search for "atlas of the newborn" or "taking sides" or "click it" then see how it looks in the staging directory.
You can test in staging. ( http://alicat.austincc.edu:2082/ )

For the benefit of the Web Cmte:
Due to a sheer fluke, I discovered that we were not displaying a title subfield (p) for some items. Since only 790 items have this subfield, it wasn't that apparent normally. It took a while to figure out how to make it display but I'll change the file tonight so that tomorrow, we'll have better display records for these.


Adding the physical description to the body of the bib record display

The bib_display.html normally contains these tokens to display information about the item above the tabs:

<!--{recordinfo:!}--> [Note: displays author, title, publisher info]
<!--{linkeddocs}-->
<!--{URLS}-->
<!--{holdingslink}-->
<!--{bloblinks}-->
<!--{imagelinks}-->
<!--{artthumb}-->
earlier I added to this list the permanent record link token
<!--{recordlink}-->

Today I'm changing the first token to read
<!--{recordinfo:atpr}--> [Note: displays author, title, publisher info, physical descrip]

Note: Also made the Copy Status (Location) tab the default again and changed the color of the link on the "Find Similar Items" to red.

10 February 2008

Converting the Spanish Opac

Although this portion of the catalog gets very little use, Library Services is committed to maintaining it. The Dean strongly suggested that we continue this service.

Working in the staging directory. Can get to them via this url:
http://aliat.austincc.edu:2082/screens/opacmenu_spi.html

Because of the limited use, I decided that we should use many of the former search pages as is -- or "as is" as much as possible -- even if there is a different look. These pages are:
  • opacmenu_spi
  • mainmenu_spi
  • toplogo_spi
  • botlogo_spi
  • and the specific search pages like srchhelp_a_spi (author search)
The graphics are all still useful, but we will need some new ones to match the new images that webpac pro uses. Some I've identified:
  • View Saved
  • Remove Marked Items From List
    • See ICON_UPDATELIST in wwwoptions
  • Limit available (not sure about this)
  • Remove from Bookcart
We definitely need to recreate the verification files:
  • patroninfo (pverifyweb_spi)
  • request items (pverifyweb3_spi)
  • reserves (pverifyweb6_spi)
We will need to check on the new files like briefcit.html and bib_display.html to see if we need to accomodate _spi.

There are anomalies that will need to be resolved. Some things just work differently and aren't readily apparent.

I know that we need to take a look at the "add to bookcart" button that appears in the browse screen. There is a wwwoption that governs whether the button appears or simply a checkbox as we have on the English language screen. I think it is the BUT_Bookcart option but I am not sure. Need to check this.

29 January 2008

Font sizing and web design

I've put this in here to remind me about this issue. Frequently I work with code that has already been created and I need to revise or adjust. This is a good summary:
http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309991
with link to a useful tutorial:
http://www.thenoodleincident.com/tutorials/typography/index.html

mp (1/29/080

09 January 2008

URL redirecting

For simpler "handout" URLs - URL redirecting.