Killing Frames

Tue Dec 5 16:16:46 EST 2000

   Here's what I wanted to do:  On our library's intranet site, I have
links to other libraries' catalogs.  If you click the 'Frames' link for an
outside library catalog (there's also a 'No Frames' link), the main frame
would be their catalog; there would also be a footer frame from our site
with three links:  Home, Remove Frames, and Request Book.  Clicking Request
Book would bring up a pop-up window with an ILL request form for the user
to fill out while looking at the record at the outside library.

   Well, this doesn't work, apparently because several of those outside
libraries' Web OPACs use the <BASE TARGET="_parent"> tag in their pages'
<HEAD> section.  That must remove my footer frame when a link on their page
is clicked.  I obviously can't change their settings, so I was wondering if
there is any other way to do what I want, namely, to give our users the
ability to request materials from libraries whose Web sites we have led
them to without jotting down/printing the information, then going back to
our Web page, finding the Request Book form, etc..  I will have a separate
"Request Book" form accessable directly from the home page, but I really
wanted this added degree of convenience.

   Does anyone have any suggestions on how to achieve this end without
frames?  Or, on getting around the <BASE TARGET="_parent"> issue -- if
that's what it is?  Any other ideas?

Thanks so much,
Rich

---------------
Rich Harrington
Hennepin County Law Library
Minneapolis, MN
rich.harrington at co.hennepin.mn.us