Links on the Library Catalog affected by the revised web site

The links on the right sidebar listed under "Other Resources" had to be updated on the following files:

help_request.html
mainmenu-noFeature.html
mainmenu.html
opacmenu.html
srchhelp_a.html
srchhelp_b.html
srchhelp_c.html
srchhelp_d.html
srchhelp_i.html
srchhelp_j.html
srchhelp_m.html
srchhelp_p.html
srchhelp_q.html
srchhelp_r.html
srchhelp_s.html
srchhelp_sy.html
srchhelp_t.html
srchhelp_Y.html

Launch Strategy

======== Launch Strategy ========

1 Planned launch date: 24 Aug 09 (1st class day of Fall 2009)

2 Have FT librarians test links from new home page
-----2.1 Fix broken links, etc.

3 Have IRT Webmaster make final suggestions
------3.1 Implement suggestions

4 Prepare the base index page for each folder
-----4.1 Check each NEW backup folder for base index pages
-----4.2 Load index.php files Sunday before classes
----------4.2.1 Rename LibHome-final.php to index-libhome.php
-----4.3 Archive all index.htm files
-----4.4 final link test Sat/Sun
----------4.4.1 During Test copy all links to htm files to a text file.
----------4.4.2 Compare to file lists and archive extraneous files. [at a later time]

5 Retire old homepage on Sunday

Toward the finish line

Excerpted from the mindmap with a few details to finish:

-------------------------------------------------------------
7 Launch Strategy
-------------------------------------------------------------
7.1 Planned launch date: 24 Aug 09 -- 1st class day of Fall 2009)
7.2 Have FT librarians test links from new home page
---- 7.2.1 Fix broken links, etc.
7.3 Have IRT Webmaster make final suggestions
---- 7.3.1 Implement suggestions
7.4 Prepare the base index page for each folder
---- 7.4.1 load Saturday before classes
---- 7.4.2 final link test Sat/Sun
7.5 Retire old homepage on Sunday

-------------------------------------------------------------
8 Windup
-------------------------------------------------------------
8.1 Identify superseded pages
8.2 Archive superseded pages
8.3 Clean up stray files
8.4 Prepare for getting feedback from users

Documenting and Using templates for addtional pages

Now that we have played around with ideas and settled pretty much on what pages in particular sections should look like in general, I am beginning to document how the pages are constructed. After consulting with Maria Youngman, IRT Webmaster, I noted that I can use more php includes than I thought of doing originally on the sub pages.

Note: The homepage really stands alone but I can use some of the same includes to make it a cleaner page.

Before I go any further, I need to explain to those who might not know... In order to use templates that contain php includes, you must get the file itself from the server via ftp. Simply saving a web page file from a browser will not work. Once a page is displayed in a browser, the includes are deployed and one sees the code that the included file contains rather than the include statement itself. (See an example in the comments to this post.)

I've created the first template with comments (subPageTemplate-LeftRightCols.php) to be used when creating new pages that will use the two column style with a left navigation bar, e.g., most of the HELP pages like "ask.php." I've loaded the Includes files in the root directory and I will place the template files like this one in a folder called /Templates2009/.

The Includes files have also been placed in a subfolder (subpages) within the /Templates2009/ to identify and store them. They are currently:

• topsection4.php
• MetaStyleScript-sub.php
• Message-sub.php
• footer-other.htm
• PageTracker-sub.php

I plan to turn the template files themselves into documents to be used for training possibly using colors and highlighting to enhance readability. The comments are already in the files.

Testing the pages

An email went out to the FT Reference Librarians on Monday afternoon 8/10/09 asking for their help in testing the links on the new pages. They were given these instructions:

-------------------------
Please open two instances of the home page test file. (This is just in case you accidentally return to the current home page during the test.)

• Note: Breadcrumbs will not really work until we go live.
• Use the browser BACK button to go back to this page.
• Note2: There are a few pages we intend to convert that are not finished.
  

As you explore, if you run into a broken link, please note two things for us:

• The name or url of the page you were on.
• The name (wording on the page you were on) of the broken link.
• For example: Broken link labeled Citing Styles on the new home page; Or, Broken link labeled Courtesy on http://library.austincc.edu/gen-info/lending-about.php

----------------------------

We received some very helpful information about broken links (and a few other questions) this week. All in all, there were very few broken links. All of them have been fixed.

Minor changes to new home page per IRT request

I showed Maria (IRT Webmaster) our pages Thursday and she was really pleased. She asked me to make some minor changes. She asked me to change

1. the footer a little to make it look more like the ACC footer
2. add ICT to the left Nav bar under Services & Progs (The wording will be Media/Computer Centers (ICT)
3. add ICT to the quick links -- same wording as above

Item 1 --

In order to change the footer on the homepage, I moved the LS address info to the left column under the rotating Read poster. I adapted the ACC homepage and IRT homepage footer information to meet our needs. (Note: I had to comment out the original CSS style and use Maria's IRT style on the footer links to make them work correctly for us.) I also modified the footer for the sub pages to make it look similar.

Items 2 and 3 --

The length of the line was too short to include (ICT) and I don't think this is a deal breaker so I used only "Media and Computer Centers."

The page I'm working on is at
http://library.austincc.edu/LibHome-BB-foot.php

This is the page I will eventually use as the homepage. I have been working on some standard php includes for the sub pages that I can use also on this page so I'll use them in the final version.

Landing pages for breadcrumbs

[I've revised this page with more information.]
It appears that index.php does work the way index.htm works with breadcrumbs. Maria has made that feature active so that we can create the index.php version of the files listed below when we go active. I'll do this on Saturday, 22 Aug, so I can test them in preparation for Monday.

Will not have to do this:
{ Maybe I have to get Melanie to invoke something. However, we can use a redirect index.htm to achieve the same thing. And, it wouldn't have to be updated along with the base file. One just needs to know the base file name. }

Base file names:

/eresources/FindArticles.php
/gen-info/about.php (about the library)
/gen-info/AUP/acceptableUse.php
/gen-info/Dir/LS-Dir.php
/gen-info/Services/svc-prog.php
/help/GetHelp.php
/loc/index-loc.php

progress on gen-info pages plus TABLES

We are making big progress on the gen-info pages. Please see the updated spreadsheet at
http://acclswiki.austincc.edu/cm/wiki/?id=63168

Also, a Wowie today! with Teresa's table styling. I was able to simplify it a little for the faculty page for putting items on Reserve temporarily at:
http://library.austincc.edu/gen-info/SvcsNEW/reserves-fac-about.php

Maybe later, I'll play around with putting the code in an Excel spreadsheet along with our staff directory information for ease in updating the alpha list. Browser readers read this kind of table well.

Structure of the gen-info folders

This is really about the information/files which were all in the main /gen-info/ folder.

Note: When using breadcrumbs navigation, a "folder" has to have an index file to go back to after any file/webpage is viewed and someone chooses to use the breadcrumbs.

Previously this folder included a large number of files concerning staff directories, policies, lending information, information about various services and programs -- all in the main folder.

-- As an aside, there are existing subfolders in this main folder like /campuses/ or /knowhow/.

To make breadcrumb navigation more fruitful and intuitive, two subfolders will be added to group most of the numerous files within the main folder and the other files will remain in the main folder:

• Dir -- to contain all the staff directories
• Svcs -- to contain the files related to services and programs

The spreadsheet of LS Web files will be updated in the wiki which is linked from this page
(http://acclswiki.austincc.edu/cm/wiki/?id=63168)
to show the grouped files. The base breadcrumb page is indicated in red.

Some pages not to forget

There are some pages that really don't have to be converted -- at least, not right away and only to convert to css and away from tables -- don't really need the standard header and footer. Pages like

• ddeliv.htm
• the textbook pages
• the laptop pages, etc.

Note: These could be renamed temporarily if necessary to the php extension, but only if there might be a link we made to that new extension. We'll find when we have people test the site.

Some pages not to forget to convert: (I'll be adding to this as I think of them.)

• Locations and hours
• no chat versions of
  
• the homepage header
• the topsection4 header
• About the Library
• Mission statement

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