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Playing With Marbles (Or Losing Them) :

Playing With Marbles (Or Losing Them) :. Configuration and Customisation With the Horizon Information Portal Previously Loved and Known as iPac. Susan Johns-Smith. Pittsburg State University Axe Library Pittsburg, Kansas USA. It’s about as easy as stacking marbles!

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Playing With Marbles (Or Losing Them) :

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  1. Playing With Marbles (Or Losing Them) : Configuration and Customisation With the Horizon Information Portal Previously Loved and Known as iPac

  2. Susan Johns-Smith Pittsburg State University Axe Library Pittsburg, Kansas USA

  3. It’s about as easy as stacking marbles! -- Lindon Samford

  4. Playing With Marbles • Standard Customisation and Configuration • Customisation for Universal Accessibility

  5. Standard Customisation - Dynix • Dynix Documentation • Tech Tips – Both Dynix and Horizon • Of 18 published, only 4 published in 2003, 3 of which were specifically for the Horizon database • Most are outdated and inaccurate • Many appear to be primarily eBuzzes of significance rather than a systematic update of documentation

  6. Standard Customisation - Dynix • Training Guides • Webex • Used for both iPac formal training and one-on-one sessions • Useful for training support personnel who are unfamiliar with the product • eBuzzes and eBuzz Archives • Good Ideas (being improved??) • Resolutions Database

  7. Standard Customisation - Dynix • Within the Dynix corporate site • Watch eBuzzes and announcements • Check web site frequently • Check product pages, support pages, training pages, documentation pages, and archives – information is scattered everywhere • Know when information is dated or superceded

  8. Standard Customisation – Customers • The iPac Zone – Seminole County FL • Icons • Media images • Archives • JBOSS/Jetty sites

  9. Standard Customisation – Customers The iPac Zone • XSL Chart - Find out which .xsl file affects which iPac screen. • External Search - Create a search form to search iPac from an external site. • Font Mapping - Maps which font class formats text on the Search Summary and Full Bib screens. • LibraryLookup - Create a Bookmarklet tosearch iPac from any online bookstore.

  10. Standard Customisation – Customers • iPac Listserv – Tampa Bay FL • iPac Directory Listing – Pittsburg KS • Tutorial Screens - University of Canterbury (New Zealand) • Individual E-Mail and Site Examples

  11. Universal Accessibility • Universal Accessibility • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

  12. What Are We Looking For?

  13. Universal Accessibility • Coding Integrity • Magnification • Color-Contrast • Screen Reading Capabilities • Motor Skill Navigation • Browser Independence

  14. Coding Integrity • W3C Validator • Recommended for HTML 4.0, XHTML 1.0, CSS Level 2, XML 1.0 • Quality, structure, consistency and reliability of the code

  15. Coding Integrity

  16. Coding Integrity • Bobby • Simple to understand language • Three levels of accessibility defined • Interpretive nature lends itself to criticism – self policing

  17. Coding Integrity “If Bobby is the only test… it is possible to produce a site with accessibility problems… it might be more accurate to say that Bobby can…identify inaccessibility than to verify accessibility…” -- Quinn (2001)

  18. Magnification • Zoomtext • Magnification and screen reading • Primarily for low-vision users • Magnification up to 16X • Useful for font, line spacing, and graphic integrity

  19. Magnification

  20. Magnification

  21. Magnification

  22. Color Contrast • Vischeck Color Simulator • Simulates Deuteranope, Protanope, and Tritanope color vision • Most useful to determine effective use of contrast

  23. Color Contrast

  24. Color Contrast - PSU

  25. Color Contrast - PSU

  26. Color Contrast - Hennepin

  27. Color Contrast - Hennepin

  28. Screen Reading Capabilities Motor Skill Navigation • JAWS for Windows, • Braille interface • Screen reader with various “modes” and shortcuts • Useful for motor skill navigation of links, pull down (combo) and input boxes

  29. Basic Search

  30. Subject Browse

  31. Title Browse

  32. Full Bib Record

  33. Advanced Search

  34. Browser Independence • Browser Testing • Amaya • Opera • Lynx • Netscape and Internet Explorer

  35. Lynx

  36. Amaya

  37. Opera

  38. Summary • Insist on standards for coding html/xhtml • Insist on browser independence • Employ accessibility tools vigorously to all pages

  39. Summary • Avoid use of any italics or thin fonts that disintegrate • Watch quality of graphics • Watch yellow or pastel fonted words • Watch link colors

  40. Summary • Pay attention to contrast • Watch colors matching logos or school colors • Watch quality of gifs, jpgs, logos, buttons

  41. Summary • Test multiple screen readers • All are not the same • Each can read differently • Often have different features, e.g., skip links

  42. Summary • Many have different shortcuts and functionality • Many have different commands to navigate within the reader proper

  43. Summary • Test readers your users use • Do not force the disabled to learn a new reader in order to use your library catalog

  44. Summary • What’s healthy for the visually impaired is also useful for the palm pilots • A good, clean design will withstand any rendering of the product

  45. Summary • <Tab> through the page • <BackTab> through the page • Check all pull-down boxes for ability to read and display using <arrows> to ensure all options are visible

  46. Summary • Check all <submit>, <go>, <send> buttons for ability to activate the desired action, form, or search • How do you get from the top to the bottom? • How do you get from the bottom to the top?

  47. Summary • Can you skip over re-occurring material? • Can you fully access the page without a mouse?

  48. Summary • Test vigorously in-house before live testing with disabled users • Test vigorously with disabled users and be ready to make changes and adjustments, not mere lip service

  49. Summary • Separate accessibility from usability:

  50. Summary • Usability: analyzing how long it takes you to find a piece of information – how many clicks, where on the page, etc.

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