[WEB4LIB] Handhelds (was Re: Web Page Width - To Restrict or Not to Restrict)

[Ian Chan]

While I was developing the Seattle Central library site,
http://dept.sccd.ctc.edu/cclib/, I put in a style sheet for handhelds and
also a text-only option.  The handhelds stylesheet is specified by using the
media attribute within <link>.  The text-only option is linked from the top
of every page.  

Minimal graphics and site navigation at the bottom help the user when
reading articles and browsing web sites via handhelds.  The handheld and
text-only style sheets for Seattle Central place the content at the top and
float the site navigation to the bottom.  

If I could go back and redo the handhelds stylesheet, I would hide the
banner and replace it with a text-only link to the home page.  My current
handheld offers a landscape view option [which I prefer for reading].
Banners take up too much real estate 'above the fold!'

I use Avantgo frequently for browsing articles.  Recently I used Avantgo to
transfer several Consumer Report reviews and rating charts to my Pocket PC.


Avantgo is a service that caches articles, from web sites designed to be
compatible with Avantgo channels, onto your handheld.  It is useful because
the places where I use my handheld for reading articles are not yet offering
free wireless broadband.  [I.e. shopping at Sears for vacuums or having
lunch at Subway.]  



---------------------------------------------------------
Ian Chan
Assistant Professor
Web Services Librarian
University of Alaska Anchorage 
907.786.1835



-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of ScottPfitzinger.7473760 at bloglines.com
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:52 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Handhelds (was Re: Web Page Width - To Restrict or Not to
Restrict)


I would like to throw a monkey wrench into the discussion now.

How about
all the people that are now accessing online materials (including library
websites) from handheld devices? I have been observing a trend AWAY from
large-screen design (rather like html tables, which were popular for a few
years, then went away) toward restricted and fixed widths so that the sites
are readable on handhelds.

Are any of you libraries designing your website to accomodate handhelds? Or
maybe providing a "Mobile" version of your site?

Scott Pfitzinger

Reference Librarian
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN