[Web4lib] Searchable bookmobile schedule

[Bret Parker]

Our Mobile Library stops info on the webpage is neither database driven
nor searchable through a search box, yet it still might be of interest.

I used XML and XSLT to produce pages for each day of the schedule, plus
two lookup tables. The end result is static html that provides a
schedule for each day, plus a "Map These Stops" link to a Yahoo! Maps
that pulls data from an XML file on our website to put the pinpoints of
those stops on the Yahoo! map page. The lookup tables allow one to
peruse the table by either day of week or stop name.  (my guide for the
Yahoo! API was here:
http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/simple/V1/reference.html )

Usability testing has not been done on  this so the interface is a bit
rough.  I was glad that the Yahoo! Maps option worked as well as it did
(and for free). Our library website is for the most part free of
Javascript (by design) so I opted for links to maps. Those inclined to
incorporate Javascript into pages could incorporate the stop maps into
the pages themselves. 

A lookup by DATE would be nice, but I have not surveyed users to see
what matters most to them. Neither am I aware whether our Week A, Week B
type of schedule is typical for bookmobile services elsewhere.

Please post your findings, a database might be something to consider
for us, too. Thanks.

Bret Parker, Senior Applications Programmer Analyst (MLIS)
Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library
City of Stockton (California)
bret.parker at ci.stockton.ca.us
(209) 937-7148

http://www.stockton.lib.ca.us


>>> "SUSAN HANSEN" <SUSAN at rochester.lib.mn.us> 9/26/2006 10:58 AM >>>
Was wondering if anyone has created a php or coldfusion bookmobile
schedule where users can search by an address or date and link to a map.
I was going to do a coldfusion schedule and started looking at php and
wondering which would be easier/better??? If you could point me to ones
you've seen/or do, that would be great! Thanks.

Susan Hansen, MA, CIRS, 
Librarian
Rochester Public Library
101 2nd Street SE
Rochester MN  55904-3776

susan at rochester.lib.mn.us 
www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org 
Aim & Yahoo screenname: RPLmnInfo  MSN: reference at rochester.lib.mn.us 

office phone: 507.285.8002
fax: 507.287.1910


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