Dynamic Website Kits--Selected Portfolio

Click the red star icons on the map to see websites for all current Website Kit clients

Fort Recovery Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mercer County District Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jackson City Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herbert Wescoat Memorial Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.R. Clarke Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oak Harbor Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perry Public Library

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Bexley Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Love Simpson Morgan County Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood County District Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loudonville Public Library

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Williams County Public Library

 

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puskarich Public Library System

Old Site                                                                                                                                            New Site

Website Kit Add-On Options (Modules)

    

(Other modules can be requested by library clients on an "as-needed" basis--this is just a **sample** of some that libraries may find useful.  (Add-on modules are typically $300.00 apiece; this is a one-time fee and includes upgrades to that module in perputuity.)

(* indicates a module often requested by Webkit clients)

 

Cafe Press integration

This module displays items from a cafepress shop (teeshirts, bags, mugs, etc.) in your website. It can also display a block with a randomly chosen item, optionally provide a link to the item as well as the shop and the "sell your own stuff" affiliate program.

• More information

Context: Menu Block

Context: Menu Block allows the Menu Block module to be aware of contexts provided by the Context module by informing menu blocks of active menu context reactions. Basically, it provides context-sensitive side menus for your site. Especially good for libraries with a significant number of pages to their site!

• More information

Embedded Media Field*

This extensible module will create fields for content types that can be used to display video, image, and audio files from various third party providers. When entering the content, the user will simply paste the URL or embed code from the third party, and the module will automatically determine which content provider is being used. When displaying the content, the proper embedding format will be used. If your library has YouTube, Vimeo or other video/audio content it needs to embed directly in its website, this is the module you're looking for.

• More information

Evanced Event Importer

The Evanced Events Importer module integrates features from Evanced Solutions' Events calendar product in to your Website Kit site. With this module installed you can continue to use Evanced Events as a stand-alone product to create events, manage event registration, record attendance statistics, run reports and manage room reservations (in conjunction with Room Reserve).

• More information
• Demonstration

FAQ/FAQ_Ask

The Frequently Asked Questions (faq) module allows users with the 'administer faq' permission to create question and answer pairs which they want displayed on the 'faq' page. The 'faq' page is automatically generated from the FAQ nodes configured. FAQ_Ask is an add-on to the FAQ module that allows users with the new 'ask question' permission to create a question which will be queued for an 'expert' to answer.

• More information

Fivestar

The Five Star voting module adds a clean, attractive voting widget to pages and/or front page stories. 

• More information (including a sample screenshot)

Flickr*

Access photos on Flickr's site via their API. The module provides a filter for inserting photos and photosets and blocks for a user's recent photos and photosets. An example of use:  a library can add photos to their Flickr account and they will automatically show up on the library's website, simply by providing the photo's ID to a form field.

• More information

Lightbox2

Ability to show images in a virtual lightbox. Great for image galleries. Fancy pre-loader and transition when you click on the image.  Works with the built-in image gallery capability of the Website Kit.

• More information
• See live demo

Links Checker*

The Links checker periodically inspects the content of all nodes and tries to detect broken hypertext links by checking the.remote sites and evaluating the HTTP response codes. It maintains a table which can be viewed through the administrative interfaces and contains all its findings. It runs in the background, initially going through all nodes, and subsequently only checking updated and newly created content. This cycle can be set to run from zero every week or month.

• More information

SimpleNews*

SimpleNews publishes and sends newsletters to lists of subscribers. Both anonymous and authenticated users can opt-in to different mailing lists.  Various add-on modules can extend the functionality of this considerably as well.

• More information

Site Map*

This module provides a site map that gives visitors an overview of your site. It can also display the RSS feeds for all blogs and categories.

• More information

Views Slideshow (Rotating Banner)*

This module provides a rotating banner/slideshow of graphics on your library's website. Items can be paginated or not.

• More information
• Try a demonstration

Other Drupal modules can be requested by library clients on an "as-needed" basis.  Please contact OPLIN Support for additional information.

Website Kit documentation

The most current user documentation is at: http://www.oplin.org/webkitdoc/indexNEW.html

Documentation for Website Kits using Drupal 7 (currently, only Brown Memorial Public Library):
http://www.oplin.org/webkitdoc/v7/index.html

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How do you decide what side block graphics get added to a site?

We only require one side block, and that's the KnowItNow block of services (you can see an example on Perry County District Library's site). For the rest, we work with your library to determine what is needed and what will work best. We're pretty flexible!

What is a favicon?

A favicon (a mishmosh of “favorite” and “icon”) is a small icon that shows up in the address bar of your browser when you visit a site, and it also shows up in your list of favorites/bookmarks when you bookmark a site. It makes your site easier to find in a bookmark list, if it has its own special icon. Learn more at Wikipedia.

What is the rotating ad banner at the footer that shows databases?

This is a free feature included in all OPLIN Dynamic Website Kits. In the Kits, this banner ad for the Ohio Web Library databases will pull directly from the OPLIN servers; this means that we'll update it for you periodically with additions/deletions to the database collection. The banner will change approximately 1x/week.

What does "uploading files for staff" mean?

This means that your staff will be able to upload (for example) a PDF document that will be attached to a particular web page in your library's site. For instance, you could attach a PDF version of an event flyer to the calendar listing of the event. Keep in mind that this is an attachment; it works just like with email. So the content of your attachment will not show up inline with the other web site text; rather, it will show up as a link that the visitor will click at the bottom of the page content.

Custom Websites for Libraries

The OPLIN Dynamic Website Kits depend on a standardized software installation and design template that allows us to keep the cost low. We do offer limited customization, but some changes "break" our standardized model. For example:

• in-house changes that break W3C standards compliance;
• changes that require modifications to a standard Drupal module or the Drupal code;
• changes that require any special server configuration; and
• changes that require custom scripting that accesses web resources outside of OPLIN's control.

When a library customer requests such changes, we suggest that it consult with an outside vendor.  OPLIN is not able to accommodate these types of development needs.

Working with third-party designs

When a library requests that OPLIN use a design created by the library or by an outside designer/vendor, the implementation is charged at the hourly rate and as an additional fee.  While we will implement outsourced designs, they typically increase work time in constructing custom CSS files, re-working graphics to work with the Drupal theme template and communications required between OPLIN and the third-party designer.  Please note that, as of March 2013, additional charges will also be included for the construction of a mobile-only site. Designs created by OPLIN use RWD (Responsive Web Design), which does not require a separate mobile-only site to work on different devices. OPLIN will not use RWD with designs done by outside designers.

"Kit & Caboodle" newsletter (2009-2012)

OPLIN provides this helpful newsletter on a semi-regular basis to its Webkit customers.  All are in PDF format.

Fall 2012:  Replace that tacky clip art; Is it time to redesign your site?  Is your site readable? Please stop screaming; wrapping text around images.

Summer 2012:  Are your navigational terms clear?, new file browser coming, Focus On:  Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, purge those side blocks that look like ads, how to re-order front page stories.

Winter/Spring 2012:  Spring cleaning checklist for your library's website, new calendar system coming, Focus On:  Germantown Public Library, re-thinking your library's staff directory, why you might be having attachment problems.

Fall 2011:  Making sure you use alternative text tags, cleaning up your library's side blocks, Stop using exclamation points, improving site usability by not using "click here," , why underlining is problematic on the Web.

Summer 2011:  Making your lists meaningful, (Another) important note about IE9, Focus On:  Williams County Public Library, Stop using all caps, getting a photo album

Winter 2011:  Putting colors together, An important note about IE9, Focus on:  Cuyahoga Falls Library, Get rid of the exclamation points, What's that "Access Denied" message?

Fall 2010:  Quick Tips, Stop putting out the welcome mat, Focus On:  Tuscarawas County Public Library, ALT tags, Can calendars be color-coded?

Summer 2010:  Quick Tips, Make your links jump off the page, Optimizing your images, Writing better FAQs, Adding visitor comments

Winter 2010:  Quick Tips, Labeling PDFs, Better blogging, Avoiding library jargon, Adding modules after initial construction

Fall 2009:  Quick Tips, Consistency matters, Writing for the Web, Creating headlines that get attention, Categorizing events

Summer 2009:  Quick Tips, Making your site more professional-looking, Re-evaluating web graphics, Why OPLIN upgrades Web Kits so often, Why you can't underline text with the Web Kit editor, Additional resources

 

How to make your website process easier

 

1. Ditch “design by committee.” As tempting as it is to have a team of some sort, in our experience, this almost always leads to either delays and/or disasters. You can never make everyone happy! Feel free to gather your staff’s input prior to your first phone call with Laura, but we strongly recommend that only 1-2 (MAYBE 3) people from your library should be involved in the actual phone conference. Because it is difficult to please everyone, typical Web Kit projects that are managed by committees tend not to only run longer, but can be more expensive because of constant revisions. To save your library time and money, designate 1-2 people to be in charge of the process and who can step in to make a decision as needed.
    
2. Remind your staff who the site is for. In our experience, library staff doesn’t always recognize that the primary (and only) audience for a public website is the public! Attempts to include resources specifically for the reference desk or to organize content just so it’s easier for the staff will generally be opposed by OPLIN. Remind your staff, when seeking input, that patrons not only come first, but are the entire audience for your new site.
    
3. Filter the input from your staff. If you are collecting suggestions from your staff, please filter the list (or have your designated liason/leader do so) to just those things that are things you would actually consider. For example, if a staff person suggests that the site should primarily be orange and the library’s branding scheme is primarily blue, remove this from the list. It will save a great deal of time for everyone involved.
    
4. Remember that your library gets three (3) drafts—total. Although this is almost always mentioned in the initial call with OPLIN (and is on our website, too), it’s worth mentioning again. As part of the standard Website Kit, your library gets 3 design drafts—total. Beyond that, the custom rate is charged per hour of work. Asking for a sample website in your color scheme will be counted as one of the drafts, as will any tweaks requiring the creation of a new image. If you’re not sure what will be counted, please ask! We’d much rather save you the money.
    
5. Outside design work is charged at the hourly rate.  Please remember that,  if OPLIN does not do the design, it is considered to be custom work and will be charged at the hourly rate for implementation and as an additional fee.  While we will implement outsourced (or library in-house) designs, they typically increase work time in constructing custom CSS files, re-working graphics to work with the Drupal theme template and communications required between OPLIN and the third-party designer. 
    
6. Don’t use print copies of the design drafts to make decisions.   When you get a design prototype from OPLIN, it can be very tempting to print it out to show to other staff. However, most printers automatically scale things to fit the paper. This means that you will not see it in the same way you will see it on a computer monitor. Be sure to pull up the .jpg OPLIN sends you in a browser so you can see it on your monitor!
    
7. Understand that part of OPLIN’s job is to educate. We focus strongly on current best practices in usability and accessibility, as well as site navigation and site design. If we veto something, we’ll always explain WHY and often provide you with third-party resources where you can learn more about current standards.  
    

 

Testimonials

• ""I also want to take a minute to thank you for all your help with this website.  You have taken a big portion of my job and turned it from drudgery to so much fun!   I also don't have to spend enormous amounts of time editing and messing around with a nasty, cantankerous dinosaur anymore. ...I have to say that I'm extremely excited about the new site.  It makes me feel good.  It's simple, clear, concise, has all the necessary info and is really easy and fun to learn and work with!"--Grafton-Midview Public Library
   
• "We're looking forward to having a more responsive site for our library and community.  Your help has been appreciated."--Milton-Union Public Library
   
• We are so pleased with how smooth the website transition has gone! We really haven't had any significant difficulties today. Yay! Thanks so much for all your work and such prompt responses to everything that has come up."--Orrville Public Library

• “ OPLIN WEBKITS ROCK!”— Granville Public Library
   
• “ I really loved the layout!”— Dover Public Library
   
• “"I have just been visiting Web sites of a number of libraries across the country. It just reinforces what a great job you did on our new Web site. It looks beautiful, it reflects the atmosphere of our community, and it functions well. (And it doesn’t take 15 minutes for people to find our phone number!)"--Wright Memorial Public Library
   
• "The work estimate is right on target.”— Marion Public Library
   
• "I'm very happy that you're doing this project, and I know our web site will be much better for having your expertise."--Cuyahoga Falls Library
   
• "BULLSEYE!  I love it, Laura!" & "By the way, the dynamic webkit was the best thing we ever did! Just love our site. Thank you. "Tuscarawas County Public Library
   
• "It looks wonderful!!!"--Logan-Hocking County District Library
   
• "Love it…perfect…"--Harbor-Topky Memorial Library
  
   

 

Website Kits in progress

The following libraries are currently underway:  (Last updated 5/9/13)

• East Palestine Public Library
• Burton Public Library
• Newcomerstown Public Library
• Carnegie Public Library (Washington Courthouse)
• Muskingum County Library System
• Defiance County Public Library
• Brown Memorial Library
• Richwood-North Union Public Library
• Licking County Public Library

 

2013 Summer Reading template now available for pre-order

OPLIN is pleased to announce that it now has a special design template available to its Dynamic Website Kit client libraries, just for the 2013 statewide Summer Reading Program.  Libraries can apply the design to any pages they wish in their Kit, and add their own content.  For just $50.00, your summer reading content can have its own special site design!  Minimal customization (e.g., side blocks) is available for an additional fee. 

If you would like to have this design available for your library this summer, please order before April 1, 2013.  Email Laura Solomon at laura@oplin.org to place your order now!

 

OPLIN Dynamic Website Kit Style Guide

Please refer to this when creating graphics and text content for your library's website.  It is a succinct collection of best practices for your site, many of which also have links to additional information about each.

Website Kit Style Guide