[Publib] Library website incorporated into City website

[Robert L. Balliot]

Library web sites should be part of City and Town Websites.  The

one big caveat I would offer is that IT professionals outside of libraries 

really don't have a body of ethical standards that recognize the 

patrons right to privacy and City/Town politics can lead to

unforeseen conflicts.

 

I think the easiest, and simplest method would be a branded banner

with a file structure truncated by department supported by dwt files

for each department structure.  That way, you can have consistent

top and bottom navigation site wide.

 

The main page could have the City/Town Seal branding centered

and most prominent with a horizontal nav bar above or below.

 

Each department could have the City/Town seal branding on a banner

to the left with Department name/function centered.  File structure

would be something like (these links should not work):

 

www.cityofnewport.gov/  main index file

 

www.cityofnewport.gov/library    with an index file &  sub files controlled
by dwt

 

www.cityofnewport.gov/publicworks with an index file &  sub files controlled
by dwt

 

www.cityofnewport.gov/parks  with an index file &  sub files controlled by
dwt

 

You can set up a Google Custom search either using the simple method or

tweak it using XML to search departmental subsets and display the
information

that you want displayed.

 

For those of you involved with web design, one of the nicer tools that is

currently available to you for free in addition to Google Custom Search is

the Magic Tool Box out of the UK.  The Magic Tool Box is a great way to
enhance your

graphics. http://www.magictoolbox.com/

 

 

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Robert L. Balliot

Skype: RBalliot

Bristol, Rhode Island

http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm

http://trophycases.us.com <http://trophycases.us.com/>   (commercial work)

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From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Sheryl Eldridge
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 5:21 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Library website incorporated into City website

 

Our city administrators have asked the IT staff to come up with a design to
standardize all city departments' web pages. They also want a common menu at
the top of all city pages.

 

I am our library's webmaster and am on the committee, so I've been looking
at other city websites to get ideas about how they fold the library into
their design, and how the library site functions as part of the city's
website.

 

So far, mostly looking at small towns in Oregon, it appears that most cities
provide a link to their library's website, but the library's site is
independent (as we are now).  I've found a few library websites that share a
common header with other city departments, and a few that have a discreet
link to their city or county, and made share a layout scheme, but are
otherwise independent.

 

Can anyone recommend city website's that do an admirable job of linking to
departments and having departments link back to them?  I'm concerned that
too many city links on the library's website will confuse our users, yet I
understand the wish of the city administration to provide a consistent look
to all the websites.

 

Thanks for any ideas you may share!

 

Sheryl Eldridge, Senior Librarian

Newport Public Library

Newport, OR 97365

http://www.newportlibrary.org <http://www.newportlibrary.org/> 

 

 

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