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How do I create a newsletter widget or add newsletter content to my site?

Only those users who are assigned the Administrator role will have access to the Admin section of LibraryAware.

Newsletter widgets are a great way to promote your collection on your library website or blog. They’re also an easy way to provide virtual readers’ advisory to your patrons 24/7.

We offer two responsive widgets, the Single Jacket layout and the Multiple Jacket layout. The responsive code automatically adapts the widget size based on the device and page layout. We plan to offer more responsive widgets, so stay tuned.

From the Newsletter Widgets page, you can use a published newsletter issue to create widgets to display books/AV records from your recently sent newsletter issues, or links to archived newsletters. You can also use the Newsletter Widgets page to embed a published newsletter on your website.
   
Note: A newsletter issue must be published before you can pull its content into a newsletter widget.

Here's how to create a Newsletter Widget:


  1. Click the Admin link at the top of the LibraryAware screen.

  2. Click the Widget Settings link on the left to expand the Widget Settings menu.

  3. Click the Newsletter Widgets link.



  4. Click the orange Create button.

  5. Use the column on the left to select the widget layout you want to use:

    • Multiple (Jacket) with Detail – Your widget will display as many book jackets as you like. A selected book jacket will be shown in more detail at the top.



    • Single Jacket (Responsive) –Your widget will display a rotation of a single book/AV jacket at a time. The responsive code of this widget automatically adapts the widget size to your device and page layout. Here’s a short tutorial video on creating responsive widgets.

    • Mulitple Jacket (Responsive) – Your widget will display as many book jackets as fit the screen-size of the user's device. The responsive code of this widget automatically adapts the widget size to your device and page layout. Here’s a short tutorial video on creating responsive widgets.  



    • Newsletter Issue –Use this widget to add the contents of a single newsletter to your library's website like Washington Centerville Public Library. This will allow your library patrons to access a specific newsletter issue directly from a designated place on your site and gives you a way to easily embed a book list.

    • Archive Links –Your widget will display links to archived newsletters for the selected newsletter list(s) as LA County Library does with their NextReads Newsletters.

  6. After selecting your widget layout, click Configure Your Widget. See below for details about configuration options.

  7. Click the Save button when you have finished.

  8. To preview your widget and get set up instructions for adding it to your site, click the Preview and Setup link from the list of Newsletter Widgets.




NOTE TO WEBMASTERS: When a responsive widget is placed in a table, it becomes non-responsive. If a table must be used, please know that the widget will not display at all unless the table that contains it is set to a width of either 900px or 100em. For a responsive widget to remain responsive, it must be contained in a div instead. Feel free to contact libraryaware@ebsco.com with any questions.



Single Jacket/Multiple Jacket Widget configuration options:

Widget Name – Enter a name for your widget container.

Newsletter Lists – Select the newsletter list(s) from which you would like to display content. Note that the newsletter’s issues must contain book or AV records.

Newsletter Issue – If a single Newsletter List is selected, the default is to post the content of the most recently sent issue. Use the drop-down to select a specific Newsletter Issue from which to pull content.

Widget Header – When you check “Include widget header” an HTML editor will appear for you to create a header to go above your widget.

Items will link to – Select whether a jacket image will link to the newsletter issue or the record in your catalog.

Transition Duration (seconds) – Enter the amount of time that it will take for widget to move to the next jacket.

Display Time (seconds) Select the number of seconds for the widget to pause before a transition.

Show Navigation – Select this checkbox to allow viewers of the widgets to advance the widget rotation. 

Repeat – Select this checkbox to loop the widget rotation. If you choose not to repeat the widget rotation, each jacket will display once then freeze at the last image.

Autoplay – Select this checkbox to have your widget to cycle automatically without action from a user.

Jump To Book – This option will be available if you set the jackets to link to your newsletter issue. If this option is checked, the newsletter issue that contained the record will open at the exact title that was selected when a jacket is clicked. If this option is unchecked, the newsletter issue will open at the top of the newsletter.  


Multiple with Detail configuration options:


Widget Name – Enter a name for your widget container.

Newsletter Lists – Select the newsletter list(s) from which you would like to display content. Note that the newsletter’s issues must contain book or AV records.

Newsletter Issue – If a single Newsletter List is selected, the default is to post the content of the most recently sent issue. Use the drop-down to select a specific Newsletter Issue from which to pull content.

Widget Header – When you check “Include widget header” an HTML editor will appear for you to create a header to go above your widget.

Items will link to – Select whether a jacket image will link to the newsletter issue or the record in your catalog.

Link Color – Select the color for your book title link.

Background Color – Select the color for the background area of your widget.

Transition Duration (seconds) – Enter the amount of time that it will take for widget to move to the next jacket.

Display Time (seconds) Select the number of seconds for the widget to pause before a transition.

Constrain item to width (pixels) – This width refers to the width of the jacket image. The full width of your Left to Right scrolling widget can be determined by multiplying the width entered here by the Maximum Number of Items displayed. The height will automatically be adjusted. You can see the Widget Size of your widget container at the bottom of this screen.

Maximum Number of Items to Display – Choose the maximum number of jacket images that will display at a time. If this number exceeds the number of books or AV records in your newsletter issue, the widget will display jackets with no rotation. 

Book Jacket Spacing (pixels) Select the amount of space between each jacket image.

Show Navigation – Select this checkbox to allow viewers of the widgets to advance of pause the widget rotation.

Repeat – Select this checkbox to loop the widget rotation. If you choose not to repeat the widget rotation, each jacket will display once then freeze at the last image.

Jump To Book – This option will be available if you set the jackets to link to your newsletter issue. If this option is checked, the newsletter issue that contained the record will open at the exact title that was selected when a jacket is clicked. If this option is unchecked, the newsletter issue will open at the top of the newsletter.  

Center – Select this checkbox to place the widget in the center of the space available on the webpage. 


Newsletter Issue Widget configuration options:


Widget Name – Enter a name for your widget container.

Newsletter List – Select the newsletter list(s) from which you would like to display content.

Newsletter Issue – Select a specific Newsletter Issue from which to pull content. If you select Most recent issue, the newsletter widget will be automatically updated when the next newsletter is sent for the selected Newsletter List.

Widget Header – When you check “Include widget header” an HTML editor will appear for you to create a header to go above your widget.

Hide Branding Blocks – Select this checkbox to hide the branding header and footer from your newsletter widget display. 


Archive Links Widget configuration options:


Widget Name – Enter a name for your widget container.

Newsletter Lists  Select the newsletter list(s) from which you would like to display content.

Widget Header – When you check “Include widget header” an HTML editor will appear for you to create a header to go above your widget.

Maximum Number of Items to Display – Use the arrows to select the maximum number of newsletters to display. From the drop-down menu, select whether you want to display the last “x” issues or the newsletters sent in the last “x” months (“x” is the maximum number of items selected to display).

Include Newsletter List Description – Select this checkbox to include the description of the newsletter list, with the list of links displayed.

Sort By – From the drop-down, select the order in which the newsletter issues should display. You can sort by date of the newsletter or by the issue subject.

Issue Display Format – From the drop-down, select the display format for the issues in your list. Each newsletter issue can be listed with a Subject only or with a Subject and Date. 





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