FW: [Web4lib] AJAX on library websites?

[Gimon, Charles A]

Thinking about it, yes. There's the two sides to it: the javascript/DHTML side, and using XML data sources on the other side. I'm willing to bet that a lot of people out there are already doing ajax-ish stuff without realizing it, probably since before "ajax" became a marketing buzzword for the combo.
 
Javascript/DHTML: Yes, as others are saying, accessability is an issue. My hunch is that there can be clever workarounds for the visually impaired (maybe audio cues when something changes dynamically in a page). I'm more worried about people using browsers where somebody has disabled javascript entirely because "that will block pop-ups"--we hear of this happening from time to time. I doubt we'd ever use this for primary navigation, for example.
 
XML: Wouldn't it be great if all OPACs offered XML interfaces, standard? If your OPAC doesn't, you'll be exporting records out of it, or you'll be using ajax-style things with your other services, maybe a with a separate database that holds a digitized image collection, or something offsite.
 
If you're looking for an easy, no-charge XML data feed to play with, the Weather Channel has a free resource you can sign up for:
 
http://www.weather.com/services/xmloap.html
 
Might be kind of corny to put it right on your home page, but could be the foundation of a nice weather widget for Intranet use.
 
So here's my follow-up question: what offsite XML-based sources are people thinking about using (aside from RSS feeds)? Is anyone thinking about paying for stock quotes, for example?
 
--Charles Gimon
  Web Coordinator
  Minneapolis Public Library
 

________________________________

From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org on behalf of Amy M Ostrom
Sent: Fri 12/16/2005 8:59 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Web4lib] AJAX on library websites?



Dear Web4libbers:

Sorry for multiple emails.  I am wondering if anyone else has been
following AJAX (asynchronous javascript and xml) and is thinking about
implementing it somehow into their library design?  The University of
Wisconsin directory ( http://www.wisc.edu/directories/?name= ) is an
example, and using it I thought this new combination of web tools could
be a great benefit to libraries.  Any insight or examples would be
wonderful!  Thank you.

In peace,

Amy M Ostrom
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