Topic: Appearance of the basic screen

Present: Phil Blank, Jeanne Crisp, Vicki Weavil, Carol Tobin, Susan Herzog, Michele Hayslett, Dave Ferguson

Disclaimer: "asknc.org" will be used in these notes to describe the generic page, like "nclive.org", but we haven't agreed yet on the final name.

Agreed:

1. The first screen a user sees when they go to asknc.org will be split into two parts. The left-hand will probably take about 2/3 of the screen and will include the logo and other textual information. The right-hand will take about 1/3 of the screen and will include the form for a user to input their information and question.

2. The Form Side:

A. Will look much like the form used by PLCMC but will include the following fields: email, level of service, zip code, and the question.

B. We will use a redirect process so the user can type "asknc.org" and be taken straight to the page with the form, which will have a URL that looks like the one above.

3. The Logo Side:

A. The logo will be our statewide project logo and we'll enable libraries to customize with their own logo if they want to mount a version of our page locally.

B. The text will fit onto one screen and will contain the following elements, not necessarily in this order:

- body text to include:

- brief description of service hours it is available
- who will answer the questions
- a "go ahead and try, you can't hurt your computer" statement, and
- "ownership" information across bottom of screen that includes an email address for problems and comments
- systems / technical requirements

- description of service, project, funding source

- libraries in NC with participating libraries noted in some fashion

- privacy statement, info about cookies

- disclaimer / copyright / access to licensed databases statement

For an example of how the elements might be arranged, see a page used in Texas: http://www.answerzone.org/. (We would not have the library buttons across the bottom)

C. Sub-Committee members will agree to write first drafts of the above sections. Jeanne will compile and will seek help from Carol Cramer to develop a draft web page that everyone can look at.

D. The canned message first sent to a customer will include information about not going to another URL or they'll lose their session. This could be phrased positively - "If you want to browse other Internet sites while you wait, please open another window."

E. We need to research what to say about cookies, especially with regard to NC LIVE databases. Will we tell users that cookies are not necessary? That they must enable cookies to use the service? That they must enable cookies in order to use NC LIVE? Issue unresolved.