Website Kit Welcome Packet 2022

WELCOME to your library’s WEBSITE KIT

Table of Contents Some helpful terminology What is OPLIN? What is a Website Kit? What is the OPLIN Website Kit listerv? What is the Module Market? Getting help & support How do I learn to use the Website Kit? How do I report a problem or ask a question? Value-added services for Website Kit client libraries Flipping books Client Resource site Website audits Minor changes FAQ Why are Website Kits less expensive than other options? What if we want to change the design of our site? Can we get additional training? Can we host videos on OPLIN servers? Is our library’s site ADA-compliant? Can vendor widgets be installed on our site? How do I access Google Analytics?

Some helpful terminology

What is OPLIN? The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) provides broadband Internet connections and related information services to Ohio public libraries. Our primary mission is to ensure that all Ohio residents have fast, free access to online information through the 251 local public library systems in Ohio. One way we do that (among others) is by offering libraries assistance with providing information —about the library—to the public, including offering assistance with the library’s website. Though the eventual consumers of our services are often members of the general public, our actual customers are in fact limited to the public library systems of Ohio. Learn more at http:// oplin.ohio.gov/about. What is a Website Kit? Briefly, an OPLIN Website Kit is a fully-customized content management system (CMS) for your library’s website. We call it a “kit” because we provide a customized shell and technical support, while your library provides the content. Since the back end (the system under the hood) and the front end (the design) are separate pieces, a Website Kit can be given an entirely new design at any time, without your library’s staff having to recreate all of the site’s content from scratch.

What is the OPLINWEBKITS listserv? OPLIN maintains a separate listserv for current Website Kit clients. This listserv, OPLINWEBKITS, allows OPLIN staff to foward pertinent information and announcements directly to identified staff. A client library may have as many staff subscribed as needed. Need to add/change/delete someone from the listserv? Contact Laura Solomon: laura@oplin.ohio.gov What is the Module Market? The Module Market is an online market for ordering new features for your library’s website. Some have a cost, while others are offered for free! Those that have a cost are generally more specialized in functionality, but the good news is that the cost is a one-time cost only: you pay up front for the module, but that covers installation, configuration and even upgrades in perpetuity. Browse the Module Market here: https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/webkit/market

Getting help & support

How do I learn to use the Website Kit? Firstly, there is always the Website Kit Manual. There is a link to it in the administration menu when you’re logged into your library’s website. You can also directly access it here: https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/webkit/manual Secondly, be sure to subscribe to OPLIN’s YouTube channel. We have video tutorials for some of our custom features, and are adding more all of the time: https://www.youtube.com/c/oplinorg Thirdly, you can always contact Laura Solomon directly for help! laura@oplin.ohio.gov or (614) 752-0792. If it’s an emergency, you can also contact OPLIN Support via http:// support.oplin.org. Keep in mind that live chat and telephone support are open M-F, 8 am to 5 pm.

How do I report a problem or ask a question? • Contact Laura Solomon: laura@oplin.ohio.gov or (614) 752 -0782. • Periodic virtual office hours are also offered; keep an eye on the OPLIN Website Kit listserv for forthcoming dates and times. • You can also contact OPLIN Support in a variety of ways. See http://support.oplin.org. When reporting a problem, please provide any relevant URLs and as much information as possible. Screenshots are gold!

Value-Added Services for Website Kit Libraries

Flipping Books Flipping books are interactive versions of your PDF newsletter, annual report, or just about any PDF document. They can be embedded in site sidebars, or on almost any page of your library’s site. This service is a FREE add-on to your Website Kit! Learn more and see a live demo in this YouTube video https://youtu.be/11HJk0PRecE

Client Resource site As a Website Kit client, your library gets an account on a special website that provides all sorts of free graphic resources you can use and even modify for use on your library’s site. All graphics are pre-sized and pre-optimized for your site’s sliders, storyblocks, database and emedia displays, and more. This service is a FREE add-on to your Website Kit!

Website audits As a Website Kit client, your library can avail itself of a free audit up to twice per calendar year. This audit covers content issues, accessibility, and more. Your library will receive a written report of any existing issues, with additional resources to help learn more about resolving them. You can order your website audit through the Module Market, at https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/webkit/app/audit This service is a FREE add-on to your Website Kit! Unlike many other vendors, OPLIN does not charge for minor changes. What is defined as “minor?” Any change that takes 15 minutes or less. This can save your library significant financial expenditures! Minor changes

FAQ

Why are Website Kits less expensive than other options? Ohio’s public libraries are in the unique position of being able to buy customized website services at cost. That’s because Ohio public libraries already indirectly pay for OPLIN through the Public Library Fund; OPLIN does not generally charge for its services. Website Kits is an exception: since not all libraries want or need a Website Kit, we only charge for the actual costs of creating and maintaining a Kit. Not charging would not be fair to libraries that don’t want a Website Kit. But, the Kits are still significantly less than those from vendors, because we are not trying to make a profit. There’s no markup.

What if I want to change the design of our site? Not a problem! We do this all the time, as needs and trends are constantly changing. If you’re not sure what you want to do, we suggest starting with our Selected Portfolio: https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/webkit/portfolio. However, don’t feel those are your only options: we can also work with other ideas! When you’re ready to start at least talking about a redesign, just give our certified designer, Laura Solomon, a call at (614) 752-0792.

Can we get additional training? It’s not unusual for new staff to become involved in maintaining a library’s website. To facilitate this, OPLIN offers several training options: • 1-hour phone refresher. Using remote access to your computer and phones, we will walk you through the basics of your site, or answer specific questions that you may have. We do not charge for this service. • Refresher training at the OPLIN office. We can accommodate your staff for a training of a length of your choosing. Please inquire for pricing. • Refresher training at your library. We are able to travel to your library to provide training. Please inquire for pricing. And, don’t forget, we don’t charge for email or telephone questions! Can we host videos on OPLIN servers? Short answer: no, sorry! Each library has up to 1 gigabyte of space available, which is generally much larger than any library will need for the storage of graphics and/or PDF files. We recommend either YouTube or Vimeo for video storage.

Is our library’s site ADA compliant? To answer this, let’s start with when your site was passed to your staff, after it was initially created. This was before your library input any content at all. At that time, the answer to this question would have been “yes.” OPLIN ensures that the websites it creates meet not only Section 508 standards, but WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility standards as well (as much as possible; some vendor widgets violate these standards). However, your website is much like a cup of coffee. When you buy a cup of black coffee, the barista can assure you that’s it’s low calorie. But, after you add stuff to the coffee, it may or may not still be low calorie. So, the answer to this question, now, is “maybe.” There are things that staff can do to violate federal and international accessibility standards. To help you know if your site is still meeting current accessibility standards, OPLIN offers a free Website Audit to all of its clients. Your library can take advantage of this service up to two (2) times per year. You can order an audit here: https://www.oplin.ohio.gov/webkit/app/audit The audit will evaluate several other areas as well, in addition to accessibility.

Can vendor widgets be installed on our site? Yes, they can, and many of our client libraries have all sorts of widgets installed. If you’re unsure about a particular widget, or have questions about how to install one, just contact Laura Solomon at laura@oplin.ohio.gov. Some caveats about vendor widgets: • Some widgets are not responsive. This means that they may not resize appropriately on mobile. This is not usually something that OPLIN can correct but, rather, has to be fixed on the vendor’s end. • Some widgets may not be accessible to the blind or visually impaired. OPLIN recommends evaluating and testing widgets carefully before deciding to use these on a permanent basis. How do I access Google Analytics? All of OPLIN’s Website Kits have Google Analytics tracking, even if you didn’t know it! The login URL for your library’s account is https://www.google.com/analytics/. However, OPLIN does not have login credentials for your site; those are set by individual libraries. If you are unsure as to what your login credentials are, you will most likely have to follow up with someone who works/worked at your library. In some cases, analytics might have to be re-started from scratch.

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