Web Resources

 

Web Resources

In this section, learn about:

  • Adding new web resources
  • Viewing and linking to the web resources page
  • Live examples of web resources pages in action

  

We know that libraries are so much more than just books! To help you promote your resources, Aspen offers an easy way to feature them on your discovery layer. No web design or coding skills required! Just enter information about each resource you have, and Aspen will automatically generate a resource page for your patrons to browse.

  

Example Web Resource Pages

Need ideas for what to include on your web resources page? We've got you covered! Check out these great examples from our live partner sites:

Delray Beach Library

Salina Public Library

Uintah County Library

Okaloosa County Public Library

Note that the web resources page doesn't have to be restricted to online resources. Try adding links to helpful resources that are local to your library such as community organizations, school districts, etc.

Creating Web Resources
  1. From Aspen Administration, visit Web Builder → Web Resources.
  2. Click Add New.
  3. Enter the Name of the new resource.
  4. Enter the URL for the resource. This is required.
  5. Optional: select Open in new tab to have this resource open in a new tab when clicked.
  6. Upload a Logo for the resource, if desired. For a unified look to your resources page, you might consider having logo images of a similar size/orientation.
  7. Check Featured? to feature this resource at the top of your main Web Resources page.
  8. The next few options are:
    In Library Use Only: Will check the accessing IP to see if the user is within the library building. This requires setting up IP addresses.
    Requires Library Card: This option will prompt a user to sign in before accessing the resource link. 
    Requires Being Logged In To Access Unless in Library: This option will require users to log in before accessing the resource link, unless they're already in the library. This requires setting up IP addresses.

 

in library use only

 

  1. Teaser: Enter a short description for the resource. This will appear next to the resource on the main resource page, so is meant to be a brief introduction. Maximum text is 512 characters.
  2. Description: Enter a longer description for the resource here. This will appear after users click on a specific resource to find out more information, and can include any additional instructions needed for accessing the resource.

 

Note: The words you use in your teaser and description are important to tie in the Web Resource with user keyword searches in the catalog. For example, if your Kanopy description contains the word "movies" or "documentaries", users searching for those words in the catalog should see the Web Resource appear in the Explore More box.

 

  1. Select any Audience or Categories for this resource. Web Resources will appear when users switch the main search index from "in Library Catalog" to "in Library Website." Assigning audiences and categories can help users filter search results to find resources within specific categories or geared toward certain audiences. Click here to learn more about audiences and categories.
  2. Select the library this resource should apply to.
  3. Save your changes.

 

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Viewing and Linking to the Web Resources Page

Once you've built your Web Resources page, you can preview the page Aspen generates by appending this to the end of your Aspen catalog URL:

/WebBuilder/ResourcesList

For example: catalog.yourlibrary.org/WebBuilder/ResourcesList

Once you have your web resources page finalized, you'll need to add a menu link to the page in order for your users to find it. You can simply add that URL alias above to the URL field when you create the link. Click here to read more about adding new menu links.

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