Summary: HTML ?

[Library]

Thanks for all your responses.  The answers I received are shown below.

My question was:

"Is there an HTML tag - similar to the ALT tag - which would show popup text
when the cursor is placed over it?  (Don't know if I'm explaining this
right, but I know what I mean ;) ).  What I see in my mind is that if I have
a link on my home page for Databases, I'd like to have a popup that would
say "Medline, CINAHL, MD Consult, etc." as a navigation aid to users."

Responses received: 
--------------------------------
Here is what I use on our library pages:

<a href="/library/"
        title="This link will take you back to the Library  Homepage"
style="background:none; background-color:#00734A;text-decoration:none">

I am not sure if title works across all browsers but it works well with IE4
and higher and does not bother the other browsers.  It also goes through
Bobby with out nay problems.
_________________________________
Javascript handles this with mouseovers.
---------------------------------------------------------
it's the NAME property of the HREF tag.
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Just this week I ran across a JavaScript gizmo called OverLIB that sounds
like it would do the trick:
http://javascript.internet.com/messages/overlib.html

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You asked for an HTML tag, but I'm using Javascript for that.  My solution
uses images, so the "title" attribute someone else suggested might work
better for accessibility... But any way, you can see what I did at
http://www.elmira.edu/library/srcharticl.html

I actually got the idea and the code from a public library, and I have seen
this and similar solutions used many times since I put it up, all Javascript
based.
------------------------------------------------------
This can be done with a JavaScript which uses layers.  They are available at
many of the JavaScript collections on the Web.  One caution though.  I don't
believe layers weren't supported by browsers before I.E. 4 or NS 4.  If
you're interested, I could point you out a couple that I've used before.
---------------------------------------------------
HTML 4.x provides, and IE4+ and Mozilla both support, a TITLE attribute for
almost every element.  Both browsers treat this as a tooltip that pops up if
you hold the mouse over that element.  So:

  <h3>Databases</h3>
  <ul>
  <li
    title="The National Library of Medicine's database of journal
citations">
    MEDLINE</li>
  <li
    title="The primary database for literature in the field of nursing and
allied health">
    CINAHL</li>...

Bill Drew offered an example of an A element with a title attribute.  It's
worth noting that Netscape 4.x will display that, but as a substitute for
the URL in the status bar, not as a tooltip.
-------------------------------------------------
The TITLE tag provides a good popup in IE, on both Macs
and PCs.

Unfortunately, it was not recognized by Netscape as recently
as Navigator 4.08 (the latest standalone version that I know of).
It does no harm in Netscape, to my knowledge, but it doesn't 
show up at all.

Alternatively, you could try this:

<A HREF="http://www.wherever.com" ONMOUSEOVER = "window.status = 'text
that 
will appear'; return true;" ONMOUSEOUT = "window.status = ''; return
true;">
Link Text</A>

This will appear in the status bar at the bottom, and replaces the
URL of the link that would otherwise appear there. Disadvantages:
some people would prefer to see the URL of the link, and some people
never look at the status bar at all.

If you want to see TITLE tags in action, 
here's one page: www1.emmanuel.edu/library
(We use a combination of title tags and smaller text below the link now--
no solution is perfect.)
------------------------------------------

I haven't had a chance yet to try any of these but I will!

Thanks again!

Madeleine Taylor
Health Sciences Library
St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center
703 Main Street
Paterson, NJ 07503
library at sjhmc.org