Web Advisory Group Home > Minutes > 2 February 2005

Minutes - 2 February 2005

Members present: Hennig (chair), Duke, Gaskell, Quirion, Skuce (minutes)

1. Converting our search engine to MIT's Google

Nicole attended an IAP session on configuring the Google search at MIT, and has prepared a test environment. The results screen defaults to the MIT "look," so we will look into options for implementing our own style sheet.

After discussion, the group decided a simple search will suffice when we switch over to Google; if need be, we can easily add advanced search capability that more closely resembles our current search screen.

2. Google Scholar pages, and bookmarklet

The bookmarklet doesn't work in IE. It's a Firefox extension, and it works in Mozilla and Netscape. WAG explored wording to explain the bookmarklet's benefit; Nicole will prepare a draft and run it by the group.

GS info pages: WAG discussed the best ways to inform users about Google Scholar. Millicent will get a draft ready, working in concert with other public services staff.

WAG is aiming to have the bookmarklet text, and the GS help page(s), ready for release right after our next meeting.

[Note: The Google bookmarklet is on hold, pending MacKenzie's discussion with Google about other ways to get similar functionality.]

3. New templates based on the Data Services site

Nicole is getting the Subject Guide template ready, and is working on color schemes, lower-level pages, etc. Questions still remain, regarding how much of these pages will be locked down, whether Macromedia Contribute would work with them, whether they'd work like our style sheets, training, and so on. The group's overall feeling was that testing of blog software should be given a higher priority than work on the templates, since this holds promise as a possible future solution (or addition) for creating subject pages.

4. Macromedia Contribute testing

Everyone in WAG has Macromedia Contribute installed. Millicent and Stephen will use it for posting the current WAG minutes; other testing is ongoing.

5. RSS feeds for our news pages

There are many issues to address regarding RSS feeds.
--We discussed the merits of hand-coding in the interim, while waiting to get a blog in place. Nicole showed a sample of a hand-coded RSS feed for our news. It was felt that we should move towards letting the blogging software do it, rather than coding our own.
--Should all Libraries news be combined, or should each or at least some of the units have their own feeds? Or should blogs be subject- as opposed to library-based?
--We'd like to do testing with a strongly-engaged audience. Perhaps Music?

6. New "Curious?" stripes

We're pursuing the use of intriguing images in order to highlight subject pages. Darcy will contact subject librarians asking for image ideas.

Next meeting:

Wednesday, February 16, 2005, Barker Conference Room (following presentation by Steve Krug). Guest: Tracy Gabridge

http://libstaff.mit.edu/webgroup/minutes/20050202.html

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