News box entries

I removed the bit in the news box about the LOUIS upgrade as it is over now (I think). Since the news box is so empty all the time, I added a reminder that IE8 is out. Not everyone may be aware of it, and having the latest software makes for better browsing. IE8 is better than IE7, but it still does a lot of things that annoy me and I really don't like it. Yet, people like my brother still insist on using IE despite all evidence that it's no good. So we might as well remind people to update it.

It won't be there for long, I think.

New IE8 + Upgrade to system

I suppose I should mention that the latest version of Internet Explorer is now 8, a Beta no longer:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/default.aspx

Also, I added something about the upcoming LOUIS system upgrade to the home page.

Fixing errors

Mike and others have pointed out to me some errors on the FAQs, computer lab, and copying pages, and they have been repaired. I also removed the opening sentence of the printer-copier page ("Need to make copies of your friend's biology notes from the class you missed yesterday? Need to print a copy of your paper for English, or print the study guide for chemistry? The Library can help!") as the page is large enough on its own now.

The computer lab page was still saying that it was on the 3rd floor in the main paragraph, but the bold heading was correct so my eyes (and everyone else's) must've skated right over it. :-/

EDIT:
I also removed the database trial from the home page, as it is over, and the old reference page on the /reference domain is gone for good.

Confidentiality page + OPAC design

•Don told me about some broken links on the Confidentiality page, so I've changed them to working links on the ALA site, and I've also changed the Louisiana Statute link to go to the state's web site:
http://www.ulm.edu/library/confident.html

•gave CH the files and information needed to explain the upcoming OPAC design (deadline unknown, but it's evidently soon). We'll see how it turns out. The only real difference since I last talked about it is that I've made the logo smaller (yet slightly bigger than it appears on the home page), and saved it as a PNG.



Those jagged aliased edges on the GIF were bothering me. IE6 can't show transparent PNGs and will display the logo in a grey box, but that's all right. My goodness, it's 2009, after all-- PNGs are much better, so I choose to not appease IE6 in favor of not having an ugly logo.

New Trial

Mike told me about a database trial for American History in Video, which I've added to the home page.

New OPAC design!

I heard from Chuck today that another page design is needed for the new OPAC that's coming (looks like "Enterprise" to me, but I don't think that's what it is... not that it matters). It is also needed very soon, he says. The current version still looks like regular "Enterprise" and needs to be customized for ULM:
http://ulm.training.louislibraries.org/uhtbin/webcat (this "works")

So, this is what I've done (this won't "work" because it's on my no-script-having webspace: this is all about looks);
Search page: http://www.ulm.edu/~niemla/h/elib-test2/X2.html
Result page: http://www.ulm.edu/~niemla/h/elib-test-result/y.html

(I've also made another with another gradient background for the "go back / logout" bar:
http://www.ulm.edu/~niemla/h/elib-test/X2.html
Frankly I don't like it as much, but if you-all do, we can use it)

I won't move on to tweaking the results page template (which has a bunch of blue-colored text and images I'll need to change also; do a search in the working OPAC and you'll see what I mean) if the main design is all right with you-all.

Here's a detailed explaination of what I've done (good gravy this is long; try downloading this text file):

0) All test pages and their CSS have been modified for design testing, including changing image URLs. They are not meant to be final products as-is. To see what has been changed if this guide does not suffice, here is the URL to the CSS:

http://www.ulm.edu/~niemla/h/elib-test2/elibrary.css


1)
In the file "elibrary.css" :

a)
The bottom border of the containter called ".header_container" should be changed FROM #2D4C85 TO #870101

The background color of ".header_container" should be changed FROM #ffffff TO #870101

b)
In ".buttons_container" the background color should be changed FROM #a7ef8e TO #a39058 and this line should be added to create a new background image ("buttons_container-ulm.jpg"):

background-image:url(buttons_container-ulm.jpg);

(If the background image is unacceptable, just using the container background color works also)


c)
The link color (around line 17) should be #660000

d)
All instances of the color "#3662E0" should be changed TO "660000"
All instances of the color "#2860d0" should be changed TO "#cfad46"
All instances of the color "#0465A3" should be changed TO "#a39058"

e)
In "input.button," the text color should be changed FROM #ffffff TO #000000 to be read clearly with the new color version of the search buttom ("buttom-ulm.jpg"). Its border should also be changed FROM 0465a3 TO #8C8C8C

f)

Simiarly, #ffffff should be changed TO #000000 in all other buttons using the new button color. These are:

.itemdetails_button
.keep_button
.hold_button, .buynow_button, .reqorder_button
.tab


g)This line should be added to the top of the CSS file. It will make the background color the same as our home page:

body { background-color: #ececdb; }

h)
In "input:focus" (line 42), the border color should be changed FROM #8ef084 TO #FEA3A3 and the background color should be changed FROM #eaffe8 TO #FFE8E8

i) In ".branding_container" (about line 117) add this line to make a little bit more room in the container:

margin-top: 0px;


2)
In the html of the PHP form page (or whatever you're using) that is displayed:

a) for the text "training system," or anything else that is supposed to be light gold, the color "#cfad46" must be used, or the code won't work at all (also, this is official ULM gold)

b) Added "The" to our institution's name and a carriage return so that the name fits on one line. The markup is:

e-Library at
The University of Louisiana at Monroe

(Blogger will likely not display markup. Try downloading this text file)

Also changed e-Library's "at" to "@". This can be changed back to "at" if it is not appropriate.


3) Some images have been changed and given new names to indicate that they are different:

header_container.jpg --> header_container-ulm.jpg

searchsum.jpg --> searchsum-ulm.jpg

ulm.gif --> ulm.gif (Branding image. New file, same name for this one)

button.jpg --> button-ulm.jpg

buttons_container-ulm.jpg --> (a new creation)

The URLs in the files in which they appear will need to point to them wherever they are, obviously.


4)
sirsidynix.css was not changed

5 [Trivial])
I noticed an empty image URL in ".branding_container" (in elibrary.css) for a brand image, which is instead currently in the html reading the CSS instead. It is possible to add the ULM logo ("ulm.gif") as a non-repeating background image in one of the header containers. However, I am in no position to change something like that. It may display differently in different browsers. Such a change is likely not necessary.

Thanks,
Karen Niemla

Pictures are live

I've put the multiple picture version of the home page online. Do let me know if it's not working right.

Home page images

•I've been talking about it for a while, that random image thing. On page reload, the image changes. It works in all browsers I tested. As we are not able to get a better photographer, I took some pictures of the library and tried them out here:

http://www.ulm.edu/~niemla/h/newimg-test/

Here are all of the images at once:
http://www.ulm.edu/~niemla/h/newimg-test/imgs.html

There are 10, and I would like to have that or less. Are there any I shouldn't use? Is there anything I should take a picture of? Does anyone have a better camera? Or some talent?

Or... perhaps there's another way to get pro quality at discount price...?

• I also today added some information to the site about GAs, as KC suggested...

http://www.ulm.edu/library/FAQ.html#ga

http://www.ulm.edu/library/forfaculty.html

Add info re grad student checkouts to faculty page?

I've a faculty member come to the desk to ask what procedure she can follow to enable her graduate assistant to check out materials for her (the professor).

I didn't know, and couldn't quickly find the answer on the library services for faculty page. Could this information be added?

Heather advises me that the requirements are simple: the professor just needs to send the student to circulation with the professor's ID, and a letter with his/her signature which identifies the student who is authorized to check out materials for the professor. The letter will be kept on file at circulation. (Obviously, this procedure will need to be repeated if/when the professor changes graduate assistants.)

Home page implemented

Goldie-Underline is now on the home page. While doing this, I also did some other things.

•Fixed the top grey search banner/bar so that it is the same size in most browsers. IE and Chrome used to show it far too big. There also used to be this weird thing where if you clicked either of the image links, little scroll bars would appear in the container. That doesn't happen anymore either. This is a surprise to me, because it's been a problem ever since we got the templates and I never really thought it could be fixed.

•added 15 pixels of padding to the left of the search box, so that it's not right up against the edge as before

•there is 5 pixel less space between the top banner and the grey search bar. It's hard to notice, though.

•removed the DB trial from last week, as I believe it's ended by now

The grey bar still has problems on the sub pages. I'll change those now that I know how to do it.

Reserves + Scanners

• added some information about reserves to the FAQ and faculty page.
Thanks to H.P. for the forms and for processing them also.

• The FAQ now has an entry about scanning and says that we don't have a scanner. Does anyone know where ULM does have a scanner?

• It appears that Goldie-Underline is the most-like category highlighter so far. I'll probably upload it on Monday.
Before I implement it, though, I think I'll try to fix the gray bar, which is much thicker in IE and Chrome for some reason.

Completed and upcoming changes...

•Added a "troubleshooting" section to the Off-campus access

•added a question to the FAQ about connection problems

•I'll add more to the site about reserves as soon as I'm sure which form should be used. The library site has 2 of them. (honestly I should've done this earlier)

•As we have no money for a pro photographer, I am with Don's permission going to take pictures of the library interior for random-loading picture on the site (you know, the thing I've been talking about for a year). I will try to make them look "nice."

•Even noticed how the top grey bar is fatter in IE and Chrome? I'd like to fix that. However, that's how it was when we got it from R.G., and if he couldn't fix it, maybe I can't either.

•To the tier2.css file, I have added this line:
#navlist li { list-style-type: square; }
This makes it possible to have square bullets in a bulleted list. I think square bullets are a better match to our site's geometic appearance, but it's not urgent (to say I cared deeply about bullets would almost literally be nitpicking).

•the "special needs" (handicapped) part of the FAQ has been expanded. This link can be added to other pages that need to mention Special Needs info.
http://www.ulm.edu/library/FAQ.html#How_do_I_use_the_library_if_I_have_a
I've now added it to "for students," "for faculty" and "Library Services to the Local Community"

highlight candidates

Based on responses on the blog (thanks for that by the way), I have choose 3 candidates...

A
Goldie

B
Goldie Underline

C
Goldie Underline II
(A mix of A and B; the line appears behind the bottom of the text rather than below it)

These are not set in stone. More like plaster. Some things about them can be changed, such as the color and thickness of the gradient line. For instance, this is what Goldie Underline II would be like if the line were 1 pixel thinner (I wouldn't make a "D" for a 1-pixel difference).


Trivia:
I also made a "strikethru" version; it's no good, so it's not a candidate.

New Trial

Mike informed me of a new Alexander Street Press trial, and I put it on the site.

The Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives, 1960 to 1974
http://hosted.vresp.com/265372/f605612c53/1227001743/3233c0cee1/

Home page visibility fixes

Remember when I said I would make the group headings more visible? I've been thinking about that, and I have six demos for you all to choose from. If none of them are acceptable, then I'll start over. Please do let me know which you all like the best.

Shady
Goldie
Liney (the most simple)

Shady-underline
Goldie-underline
Liney-double (probably the worst)

Of these, my favorites are "Goldie-underline" and "Shady."

• Also, if anyone's wondering why the other old reference page is around, I have it there because I will make an example of it at my LLA presentation as something that "seemed like a good idea at the time," since I remember why I liked it and how I came to not like it anymore. After LLA, it will be gone forever.

Various things

•I asked the computing center to add the "site map link" in the footer of our Ask-A-Librarian form. The response was pleasingly prompt, I must say.

•Speaking of that, a bunch of links in the site map that were wrong and fixed them

•There was a finding aid for the Noe Collection that I was unaware of. It has been added:
http://www.ulm.edu/library/archives/noe.html

(EDIT)
•These files were removed today:
Hoilday.html (Feb 19, actually)
instruction1.html
announcement001.html
announcement002.html
announcement003.html
announcementTEMPLETE.html
departments1.html
departments1a.html
RS44.html
originalindex.html
Reference33.html
"subject_img" folder and contents
forstudents1.htm
federal.html
reserves.html
reserve.html
Trial001.html
Trial002.html
(op1847.jpg moved to main "archives" folder)
"civilwar_files" folder in "archives"