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WebPac Implementation Team : Help Subgroup

Meeting Minutes

11/17/2000, 1pm-2pm, Baker 152

Present

  • Bill Fontaine
  • Stina McCarthy
  • Karen Sluzenski
  • Carol Magenau
  • Mary LaMarca
  • Reinhart Sonnenberg

Charge Item 1

"Survey a sample of webpacs at other institutions to identify features of their help documentation that should be incorporated into the Dartmouth WebPac."

The Subgroup completed item 1 of the charge by reviewing academic libraries using Innopac. We discussed features in the Help Documentation that we found helpful as well as those that should be avoided.

Charge Item 2

"Assess the need and scope of general WebPac help that would be available through a HELP button that travels through all WebPac screens."

  • A single help documentation page is preferable to one that is divided up into a suite of several pages. This allows one to browse the document without having to return to a contents page to go to the next section.
  • The help documentation page should be a central reference for users and provide additional help that cannot be imparted through contextual help pages. Conversely, it should not provide help that is more appropriately handled contextually.
  • It should list a  helpline telephone number and an "Ask a Librarian" link.
  • The help documentation page should appear in a sized  window so it doesn't take users away from the catalog window where they need help.

Charge Item 4

"Explore avenues for providing additional contextual help throughout the WebPac."

  • Hotlinked examples that execute the search.
  • Each example needs to illustrate a different aspect of searching.
  • Use color and columns to make examples clearer.
  • Experiment with having a helpline number & Ask a Librarian link each contextual page so users don't have to look for this information.
  • Use a "Tell me more" button to provide additional help.
  • Use a "What is included in the Catalog?" button.
  • "Punctuation and Capitalization do not matter. Spelling does."
  • Feedback button to solicit comments.
  • Search Tip of the Day
  • Library Locations & stack guide information provided in the item level displays.

The Subgroup plans to build the Help documentation by first creating and refining contextual help for the WebPac screens. The contextual help is the most important aspect of the WebPac Help. If it is effective, it will minimize the need for the Help Documentation File. It will also be easier to implement the contextual help and get feedback. This will help the Subgroup to identify situations that cannot be adequately addressed by contextual help and need to be covered more fully in the help documentation page. The contextual pages will also provide topics and text that can be used to build the help documentation page.

Charge Item "3

Review the existing contextual help information on all Dartmouth WebPac pages and make appropriate changes."

Assignments

Edit the contextual help documentation for the main search screens for discussion at the next meeting.

  1. Author/Title (Mary)
  2. Author (Karen)
  3. Keyword (Carol)
  4. Subject (Bill)
  5. Numbers (Reinhart)
  6. Title (Stina)