I was sitting around the other day and thinking "I know a bunch of libraries that provide fantastic open-source software and enhancements but I cannot find anything on their websites about it" and then decided I'd make a page for librarians who were looking at us.
On this page I am going to release a bunch of stuff that we make/edit/create so that anyone can download it and have a play around. This will include:
Our facebook application to search an Amlib catalogue.
Any/all of our customised Amlib reports including the RSS reports and data export reports.
Our booking system for events (which also keeps our info request statistics).
Any/all of our Joomla! enhancements.
I do not know if this would be of use to anyone, but I would be interested in making this page as a kind of "look at what we do" page for other librarians. Offering the software and also some instructions on how we did things may also be a drawcard to the site.
Does anyone else know a library that offers this kind of information on their website? It doesn't have to be in English. Anyone? At all?
Showing posts with label joomla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joomla. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2008
Slackers update
Hello to the few people left who check this.
Sorry I've been away from blogging for 2 months. I am a slack-arse.
Let us see, what has happened in the past few months?
1. http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/ got launched. We have met mostly positive feedback from the public. Staff have had mixed reactions, mostly to do with not being able to find things. The speed is an issue too, we have too many style-sheets and they all take AGES to load in IE (not so bad in Firefox for some reason).
2. I finally got rss feeds working from Amlib using very hack-ish methods. I edited a report file to be in rss format (which took ages I can tell you, stupid validators). I then ran the report to create a file called maltese.rss.txt (because Amlib wouldn't let me call it maltese.rss). I then upload the file to our server and alter the name of the file in the process.
Currently all of the above is happening manually. I am working on getting it all happening automatically. I can definately run the report and create the maltese.rss.txt file automatically. My only problems is in the auto-ftping (and that is to do with network restrictions more than anything else). I am planning to sweet-talk IT around tomorrow, so here's hoping.
3. I began creating the shell for the new Brimbank Libraries Catalogue. Oddly enough, it looks very similar to the website and uses the same style sheets (which of course means it initially takes ages to load). I've popped a screen display of it at http://www.tas666.com/library/brimbank_netopacs/MainMenu.htm . None of the links work really so don't bother with those. And things will look odd in certain parts as I adjust them. Feel free to comment on it if you hate it (or love it).
How's that for an update?!
Sorry I've been away from blogging for 2 months. I am a slack-arse.
Let us see, what has happened in the past few months?
1. http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/ got launched. We have met mostly positive feedback from the public. Staff have had mixed reactions, mostly to do with not being able to find things. The speed is an issue too, we have too many style-sheets and they all take AGES to load in IE (not so bad in Firefox for some reason).
2. I finally got rss feeds working from Amlib using very hack-ish methods. I edited a report file to be in rss format (which took ages I can tell you, stupid validators). I then ran the report to create a file called maltese.rss.txt (because Amlib wouldn't let me call it maltese.rss). I then upload the file to our server and alter the name of the file in the process.
Currently all of the above is happening manually. I am working on getting it all happening automatically. I can definately run the report and create the maltese.rss.txt file automatically. My only problems is in the auto-ftping (and that is to do with network restrictions more than anything else). I am planning to sweet-talk IT around tomorrow, so here's hoping.
3. I began creating the shell for the new Brimbank Libraries Catalogue. Oddly enough, it looks very similar to the website and uses the same style sheets (which of course means it initially takes ages to load). I've popped a screen display of it at http://www.tas666.com/library/brimbank_netopacs/MainMenu.htm . None of the links work really so don't bother with those. And things will look odd in certain parts as I adjust them. Feel free to comment on it if you hate it (or love it).
How's that for an update?!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Brimbank launches trial website
That's right, after a month or so away, I've finally updated and with news this time. If you all head on down to http://development.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/ then you can give comments and stuff on our website. I'd appreciate it if anyone who reads this did.
Some things to note, I've FINALLY gotten around to doing some multilingual things. If you go to Services and then Collections you'll see some of what will happen for the live website. Click on the Dinka button (err, Thuɔŋjäŋ in the top right) and the page should translate. You'll also see that some of the menu items will translate too. If you go back to English they'll go back. Eventually the whole site will translate. I don't think I have funding to get the alt text for images translated just yet but I will in the next fin year (come on July!).
Also look at the quick pick section (ignore the animation, we're working on that)...I finally found a use for a reading blog! Noone will go to it if we advertise it as 'reading blog' but if we stick it on every page as a review of our material, hopefully people will go to it. I'll just have to remember to put links in so that people can reserve the items.
That's all for now. Enjoy peoples!
Some things to note, I've FINALLY gotten around to doing some multilingual things. If you go to Services and then Collections you'll see some of what will happen for the live website. Click on the Dinka button (err, Thuɔŋjäŋ in the top right) and the page should translate. You'll also see that some of the menu items will translate too. If you go back to English they'll go back. Eventually the whole site will translate. I don't think I have funding to get the alt text for images translated just yet but I will in the next fin year (come on July!).
Also look at the quick pick section (ignore the animation, we're working on that)...I finally found a use for a reading blog! Noone will go to it if we advertise it as 'reading blog' but if we stick it on every page as a review of our material, hopefully people will go to it. I'll just have to remember to put links in so that people can reserve the items.
That's all for now. Enjoy peoples!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Translating a library webpage
Everyone has told me that setting up translations for a library webpage is difficult and involves a lot of planning and careful consideration of blah blah blah. Maybe I missed something but I have found the translation part of our new library website to be one of the easiest parts (so far).
Here are the steps I've followed.
Step 1: Make a website.
Step 2: Decide that you want the entire website to be in this alternate language (with the exception of news items which will be translated into alternate languages at different times).
Step 3: Copy all of the text you want translated into a Word document.
Step 4: Send to accredited translators.
The only real problems I have had with this is creating some language-specific content for each of my key languages. ie finding online resources to link to in the website links pages. Apart from that it all seems quite straightforward.
Using the above, I have translated all of the menus, all of the image descriptions and all of the content. The only pages I have not translated so far are topical news articles that won't be around when we launch the website. Instead I am going to write up some articles specific to the communities that read these languages and use those instead. Oh, I also haven't translated the minor language specific pages I have (ie I have a list of languages that we collect material in, each of those languages has a brief description of the library services we offer and then our standard brochure translated into that particular language).
To get all of this done, I have used a Joomla tool called Joom!Fish. It is marvellous. It allows you to easily translate a webpage without changing the structure of anything OR having to re-create your entire website. The program does not automatically translate things (like Google Translate or Babelfish) but instead gives you a box containing the current page data and then another box where you type in what you want to appear in that language. So when my patron looks at our website and changes it into Dinka, the main page will contain Dinka language translations of everything I've translated. I could also, if I wanted to, change pictures and applets to be Dinka specific. It's quite clever.
Joom!Fish, relies on a language file being present which contains all of the default text that Joomla supplies translated into different languages. For example, when you try to log in and the password is incorrect, Joomla supplies a message saying "your password is incorrect". The language file changes that to "blah blah blah" in whatever language it is for. Unfortunately I'm having trouble finding a Dinka language version (which wasn't unexpected) and an MSA/Arabic version (which was unexpected). Ah well, if it comes down to it I'll just make one.
Here are the steps I've followed.
Step 1: Make a website.
Step 2: Decide that you want the entire website to be in this alternate language (with the exception of news items which will be translated into alternate languages at different times).
Step 3: Copy all of the text you want translated into a Word document.
Step 4: Send to accredited translators.
The only real problems I have had with this is creating some language-specific content for each of my key languages. ie finding online resources to link to in the website links pages. Apart from that it all seems quite straightforward.
Using the above, I have translated all of the menus, all of the image descriptions and all of the content. The only pages I have not translated so far are topical news articles that won't be around when we launch the website. Instead I am going to write up some articles specific to the communities that read these languages and use those instead. Oh, I also haven't translated the minor language specific pages I have (ie I have a list of languages that we collect material in, each of those languages has a brief description of the library services we offer and then our standard brochure translated into that particular language).
To get all of this done, I have used a Joomla tool called Joom!Fish. It is marvellous. It allows you to easily translate a webpage without changing the structure of anything OR having to re-create your entire website. The program does not automatically translate things (like Google Translate or Babelfish) but instead gives you a box containing the current page data and then another box where you type in what you want to appear in that language. So when my patron looks at our website and changes it into Dinka, the main page will contain Dinka language translations of everything I've translated. I could also, if I wanted to, change pictures and applets to be Dinka specific. It's quite clever.
Joom!Fish, relies on a language file being present which contains all of the default text that Joomla supplies translated into different languages. For example, when you try to log in and the password is incorrect, Joomla supplies a message saying "your password is incorrect". The language file changes that to "blah blah blah" in whatever language it is for. Unfortunately I'm having trouble finding a Dinka language version (which wasn't unexpected) and an MSA/Arabic version (which was unexpected). Ah well, if it comes down to it I'll just make one.
Monday, March 3, 2008
The hyperlinked library
I had the pleasure of attending two excellent professional development thingymabobs last week (aka I sat and listened to people speak but calling it training would imply I had a formal-ish teacher).
The first one was called The Hyperlinked Library and was held by Michael Stephens of TameTheWeb. What a fascinating day. Not only did everything he said ring home, I also got to shmooze with other library staff who are interested in the Brimbank Libraries website which is being developed in Joomla. I got plenty of business cards and, unfortunately, have managed to lose the one I got from Michael Stephens. Ah well, he's easy enough to find an email address for.
It turns out that other libraries have tried using Joomla for their website. One lovely lady from *unnamed country library* did not like it at all. She'd used an older version of Joomla and remembered only problems in creating a community portal. After 3 months of glaring at Joomla, I'm apt to believe her. But I will make this work if it kills me (or, more likely, if it kills my job-share partner Andrew).
In Brimbank-Joomla news, we finally have a visa card which we can use to order things online. I don't think council appreciated us asking for a cheque for US$2 for our hosting for one month. Ah well. Visa it is! Huzzah! Because of our Visa, we now have a lovely new location for our Joomla site (previously we were using the boss' webspace).
For those interested in having a squizz : http://www.brimbanklibraries.com . Isn't it wonderful? Tricked ya! Maybe by the time someone reads this post I will actually have the website there, but currently it's a splash screen. We have a sandbox with the actual trial website on it.
The second personal development thingy was a leadership forum where library 'leaders' spoke about what they had done and then we split up into little focus group-esque things to talk about the issues that leaders face. It sounded very much like something I could have slept through but actually turned out to be very exciting. Hurray for training.
The first one was called The Hyperlinked Library and was held by Michael Stephens of TameTheWeb. What a fascinating day. Not only did everything he said ring home, I also got to shmooze with other library staff who are interested in the Brimbank Libraries website which is being developed in Joomla. I got plenty of business cards and, unfortunately, have managed to lose the one I got from Michael Stephens. Ah well, he's easy enough to find an email address for.
It turns out that other libraries have tried using Joomla for their website. One lovely lady from *unnamed country library* did not like it at all. She'd used an older version of Joomla and remembered only problems in creating a community portal. After 3 months of glaring at Joomla, I'm apt to believe her. But I will make this work if it kills me (or, more likely, if it kills my job-share partner Andrew).
In Brimbank-Joomla news, we finally have a visa card which we can use to order things online. I don't think council appreciated us asking for a cheque for US$2 for our hosting for one month. Ah well. Visa it is! Huzzah! Because of our Visa, we now have a lovely new location for our Joomla site (previously we were using the boss' webspace).
For those interested in having a squizz : http://www.brimbanklibraries.com . Isn't it wonderful? Tricked ya! Maybe by the time someone reads this post I will actually have the website there, but currently it's a splash screen. We have a sandbox with the actual trial website on it.
The second personal development thingy was a leadership forum where library 'leaders' spoke about what they had done and then we split up into little focus group-esque things to talk about the issues that leaders face. It sounded very much like something I could have slept through but actually turned out to be very exciting. Hurray for training.
