ProQuest now has a search widget creator tool - so we could embed a PQ search box anywhere we want, and could even prepopulate the search with search terms and limit to scholarly journals. My guess is that EBSCO won't be far behind creating a similar widget.
My long-term strategy suggestion: we pitch the creation of a separate "library" tab on Angel, which would include by default various search widgets like this, Credo and Multi-Database, as well as the library RSS feed, new e-book additions feed, etc. We could then build on other subject-specific options if we felt there was a need for it.
I think putting direct access to library resources at the place where students are (in Angel) rather than always making them go out of Angel to go find the library is the path to take to improve our services and our visibility to students.
What does everyone think?
Dana
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4 comments:
Making ourselves available where the student already is, is the basis of Web 2.0 thinking and at minimum should be proposed.
FYI,
ANGEL 7.3 will be coming soon and will be based on Firefox standards.
IE7 (not IE6) will be supported, therefore the need to upgrade is necessary.
Adding features, like tabs, etc. must be considered by the help desk when they do upgrades. Therefore, although there may be extra maintenance involved, I suggest we create a library widgets page, as well.
Ian
Ian - can you clarify what you mean by "create a library widgets page, as well"? Do you mean a separate page just containing widgets or something else? My idea was to incorporate select widgets into the default page (which would include search widgets and links and text) that would appear when the Library tab was selected. That page could then be edited and other, optional widgets could be added (as well as the default ones removed) as the student/faculty desired.
Dana
I meant we should have something outside of ANGEL, as well. Something in the Library and Learning Resources db.
I'm a little confused in what you'd like to do. Do you want components (widgets) that can be added to the ANGEL home page or do you want something on the Resources tab that is accessed from within a course.
What I envisioned was a default "library" tab within Angel courses (rather than or in addition to the currently confusing "Resources" tab). My guess is that few students actually customize their own Angel home page since they spend little time there anyways.
Some of the content that appears on this "library" tab page would be customizable by the instructors, or ACs in the case of CDL, for example, by AOS) within each course so that they could pick and choose from among a suite of library search widgets to appear on that tab page (examples: a subject-specific multi-database search, a specific PQ search, a subject-specific RSS feed, etc.). Not sure if this is possible, but as I said, it's just an idea.
But to your point - yes, a widget toolbox page within the library site (outside of angel) is also a good idea - that way our more tech-saavy users could add library widgets, for example, to their browser or facebook profile, etc. That might be worth a look.
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