[WEB4LIB] GEN : WEB linking to catalog

[Andrew Mutch]

Pat,

I think in most cases, those libraries that are doing this either have a
web-based catalog which allows students to access the catalog on-line or they
are using a link on the page to initiate a telnet connection to the catalog.
In your case, it sounds like you want to place a link on the page that will
launch the catalog software which you MAY be able to do.  There are several
factors involved which will determine whether this is feasible or not.  These
include:

1)  Which web browser are you using and what version?
2)  What is the software that you would like to launch?
3)  Is the catalog software installed in the same location on every machine?

In some cases, you can create an association in the Web Browsers settings so
that the catalog software is viewed as a helper application that launches when
you click on the link.  If you can't do this, a number of people have created
various workarounds using free and shareware programs like BATSH that will
launch the application.  With some more info., I'm sure someone on this list
can provide you with a working solution.

Andrew Mutch
Library Systems Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI



Pat Moore wrote:

> Posted to LM_NET, WEB4LIB and WINN-LIBNET
>
> The May 1999 School Library Journal in an article about where the library
> catalog is going talks on page 34 about Interconnectivity within the
> library.  It says that many librarians are choosing to link their
> automated library catalog to the library web page so that with a click,
> students can open the library catalog without having to go to the menu or
> find a library icon to click on.
>
> I can find no one in my district who knows how this might be done.  If I
> have the catalog software on every computer in the building, is there
> language that will allow a student to click on the web page link and open
> the application on the computers hard drive?  I'm looking for something
> that wouldn't have to go through the web server, but would go directly to
> a computer's hard drive.
>
> If you know how to do this, have done it or know where I can go to find an
> answer, I would really appreciate your input.  Thanks!  Pat
>
> Patricia Moore, Media Specialist
> North Polk Jr. Sr. High School
> Alleman IA 50007
> moore at comet.n-polk.k12.ia.us
> http://www.n-polk.k12.ia.us/Pages/Departments/media/MediaCenter.html
> *****
> "Warning - Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear."
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