Synchronized, it's more than swimming

Last Monday, a week later than posted previously (I jumped the gun a bit prematurely), the new Ashland University Library and Instructional Resource Center web sites went live shortly before noon. Thanks to the seemingly endless hard work by the Ashland University web master Shelly Shaver, the site roll-over itself went seamlessly. That said, network server changes combined with script oddities and other technology related gremlins, soon proved the actual launch may have been the easiest part of the process.

During the week that followed I learned, among other things, some scripts can overpower inherent LibGuides scripts and render the content management system useless (oops), style sheets can be applied to many different things, my computer is capable of hopping IP addresses, and web sites can, and probably should, be synchronized ... without the flowery swimming caps (it was cool). Luckily most of my lessons were learned behind the scenes and user web site service was not interrupted.

For the things we could not correct in-house (library), the IT department was able to manage for us by the end of the week - and - our new blog provided a communication tool to update users on progress. A few outstanding tasks remain, including a non-invasive header for LibGuides and updating the ERes page, but overall the project is completed. Yes!

Shameless: New IRC web page

Looking back through blog post history I located three different occasions during October (2006) when I discussed, in some detail, the redesign of the Instructional Resource Center web page. Once design changes and "artistic" layouts were established, decisions regarding retention of different pages and how to present key elements were addressed. I completed the first test pages in January and changing over old pages to new pages began in earnest soon after. So, it is with great joy I announce the frames are gone; the page is done, posted, and best of all it works!

Information is presented in five categories:

• IRC Information - Faculty, GA's, student workers, hours, pricing and both IRC and EDCI 131/504 FAQ's.
• IRC Collection - Information regarding the library catalog, juvenile books, curriculum textbooks, IRC & it's technology, IRC services, and quick copyright resources.
• What's new - Links to the various IRC blogs for the latest information regarding additions to the collection and news. Sidebar widgets detail new books reviewed in the IRC Book Review blog, news from this blog, and a quick catalog search tool.
• Children's Author & Illustrator Pages - The main page presents reference resources, database recommendations, and Internet links for children's authors and illustrators. Additionally, over 75 individual author and illustrator pages are presented.
• IRC Resources - A compilation of various resources available beyond the traditional IRC collection; Internet resources, education & research, course handouts, leveled book kits, and mock Caldecott pages are featured here.

It will come as no surprise that my favorite element of the redesign is the IRC "What's new" page. It incorporates several blog widgets, LibraryThing, a Widgetbox Blidget, and a catalog search widget, as well as provides RSS feeds from Feedburner. Right now I am spending time tweaking things and adding more author and illustrator pages (especially Caldecott & Newbery) to the existing collection. Overall, I am pleased and relieved to be finished!

Tags: Ashland University Library, IRC web page, Web page redesign, Academic library web pages

Mid-terms, web pages, & image maps

Last week was an eye-opening, preview of end-of-term madness for my new student workers. The beginning of each term is generally steady and managable with plenty of time for homework tucked in amongst the necessary duties of quick reference (I need a children's book with long vowel sounds.), laminating (Can you help me with my file folder games?), technology (I need help with the scanners/digital camera, copy machine and printer.), filling consumables (Do you have more glue?), and managing IRC purchases (How much is bulletin board paper?). In addition to regular IRC responsibilities, we facilitate a lab for the College of Education. Luckily, two Graduate Assistants are in charge, but residual questions always arise when they are not working. All in all it is a team effort that brings a little sunshine into each day.

Amidst the chaos, the IRC web page beckons me. Since I would like to load the new IRC page over Christmas break, I answered the call. Today's goal, eliminate the bad photos, adjust the so-so photos, find some good photos, and pick the best of the group to compile an image map for the main IRC page. I need five photos that illustrate the main areas available to students in the IRC. A problem with photos outside the physical IRC space is the main area of the curriculum collection, our textbook annex, is poorly lit. Instead, I chose pictures of the door (glass) into the IRC, a representative are of curriculum stacks, a composite of two IRC blogs, one shelf of the juvenile new bookshelf, and a small bank of computers. These photos will represent, respectively, IRC welcome, IRC collection, what's new in the IRC, author information pages, and a section titled Beyond the IRC. The map pictured below does not have the text or hot spots currently working on the sample page because I have work yet to do on displaying the text properly. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the words included must be readable. Right now the text is barely noticeable.

Someone recently emailed and asked me if I was hired to be the webmaster, either for the IRC or for the library at AU. The answer to that question is no, it came about as a bit of a fluke after I created a new educational resources page for the library and then the IRC web site (one did not exist until I arrived). The responsibility is filed under the "duties as named" portion of my contract. I enjoy the process, but do at times find it a challenge added to my current work in the IRC. As I have mentioned, one of the blessings/curses of working in a smaller academic library is the opportunity to do many different things. This is one of those things.

With that said I have had support from the library when it became necessary to update my skills. I have had several occasions to attend workshops (ACRL web course) and continuing education classes (OSU Dreamweaver MX instruction, see previous post). And yes, by support, I mean the library paid for each session and authorized my time away from the IRC. Also of interest, in spite of or maybe because of my status as a novice web designer, I had the opportunity to present at a CMCIG workshop (2003) and a web design panel at an OhioLINK Reference Rendezvous session (2004). Sometimes it is easier to hear someone speak without the techno-jargon that accompanies web design.

Lastly, because of my novice status I am at home this evening checking the page on my computer using older versions of IE, Mozilla, and Netscape. Much to my dismay, the words show but the links do not work on the image map and the images are evenly displayed in IE, but crooked in both of the other browsers. It seems I will be doing more than updating text at work tomorrow. (I need to look at the computer picture as well, it's rather stretched!)

Tags: Academic Library Web Pages, IRC web pages, Image maps, Small academic libraries, Novice web designer, Trouble-shooting image maps

IRC Logo poll

Before re-designing the library web page, I will be updating the Instructional Resource Center web page. I have in mind the following goals, frames will be eliminated, the page refreshed, information updated, and the colors will conform to the current University web page scheme. To this point, I have sketched out page dimensions and proposed layout, determined the color palette, and I am in the process of designing requisite images, logos, and buttons. Experience has taught me I work better when all of the visual element decisions have been made before putting the page together. As with PowerPoint, where I often become enraptured with what font, color, picture, and transitions may be used and forget information is KEY to the entire presentation, the visual element decisions must be completed so I am able to move seamlessly into the actual web editing process.

Today I finished four IRC logos for the web page. I am using Macromedia Fireworks (not 8) for the graphic elements and Dreamweaver MX 2004 for the web page. The logos have been posted on my personal site so I am able to look at them from home and judge length of time to load and size on my less powerful computer. Now I am seeking opinions.

I recently found a website, Lucky Polls, that offers coding for short simple polls on blogs, websites, and the like (yes, it is a widget). Below are the four logos, feel free to pick your favorite! I would appreciate the feedback.

#1

#2

#3

#4

Which IRC logo? 1) #1 2) #2 3) #3 4) #4 View Results Update: 10/20/06 A quick word on the two logos receiving the most votes. After quizzing anyone and everyone in the IRC a consensus was reached; logo 4. With a few modifications, namely adding Ashland University Library and the library address to the logo, it seemed to meet all the necessary qualifications for the page. As to the second choice, logo number 1, it was scratched because of an off-hand comment from my boss. He told me the IRC portion of the logo looked like an eye exam chart. After that, it's all I could see (ha-ha) when viewing (tee-hee) the logo. I'm pleased with the choice, have moved on to designing navigation buttons, and will soon be making an image map. Anyone interested may view the page in progress. It is located on my personal AU web space and will remain there while I work out all the design issues and bugs. Plus, living on my network space means I do not have to wait out the 2 hour staging server time period.

Tags: Ashland University IRC, Web page logos, CMC web pages, Academic Library web sites, Lucky Polls, Blog widgets

Irony in html

Preparing for serious library web page re-design, I recently attended two consecutive weeks of web editing workshops, Dreamweaver MX Level 1 and Dreamweaver MX Level 2, at Ohio State University's Office of Continuing Education in Columbus. Though I have experience with web editing and html coding, Dreamweaver is software I have thus far only used for updating, not creating. My last two weeks have been highly infused with web work.

Backing up a bit, it is not necessary to have a lot of web editing skill to work with Blogger; there are a great many of help pages for working with sidebars and comments. Sure, it helps to have rudimentary html understanding, but is not necessary. Back in the day, one of the first things I learned about html is most tags, especially active links, need to open AND close to function correctly. This evening I was editing the side bar and noticed all of the text directly below the "Library Humor" category was an active link for Overdue Media - Unshelved. Upon further inspection, the active link was not closed.

It is now.

I spent two full days learning Dreamweaver skills and the blog sidebar was done in by an open tag. That'll teach me!

An aside: I tried to show, illustrate, what tag it was but Blogger will not publish the post with an "html closing tag that has no opening tag".

Tags: Dreamweaver, Blogger, Web Pages