On Customizing WebVoyáge in the CARLI Environment: An Introduction for New I-Share Libraries

The CARLI/I-Share environment consists of our shared catalog (built with Ex Libris' WebVoyáge and Universal Catalog or UC software) along with all of our individual catalogs (built with WebVoyáge). The I-Share Users' Group's OPAC Team and CARLI staff maintain the design of the I-Share default version of WebVoyáge for use by individual I-Share libraries. Focus group findings confirm that CARLI's use of consistent design elements between the I-Share local catalogs and I-Share itself, the public user interface to the Universal Catalog, diminishes confusion for our students and faculty as they move between local catalogs and the UC. It is very strongly recommended that new I-Share libraries use the I-Share default version for their own "Day 1" public catalog.

Why you should accept the I-Share default version for your local PAC on “Day 1”:

Using the I-Share default WebVoyáge doesn’t mean doing without customization altogether (see Local Customizations within the I-Share Local Default WebVoyáge). You can design your own welcome page and the banner at the top of every page, choose which location limits to employ, and specify the URL that users go to when they quit your PAC.
Using the I-Share default WebVoyáge will allow the most efficient use of resources for both library and CARLI staff during the demanding implementation schedule.

And beyond Day 1… ?

Local customizations of WebVoyáge, within consortial guidelines, are possible and may be desirable for some libraries. Before you embark on a customization of the I-Share default version of WebVoyáge, you will need to consider carefully the commitment of resources involved. Further customization is not recommended unless you are confident that you can allocate sufficient ongoing resources to develop, maintain, and trouble-shoot your PAC. Please consider these points…

All libraries choosing to customize are very strongly urged to retain the core features necessary to produce similar results across all I-Share catalogs (e.g., standard naming conventions, the basic set of search indexes, and standard relevancy weighting for the Any Word Anywhere search).
Unless WebVoyage could be "retrofitted" to support Cascading Style Sheets more fully, local customization even to the WebVoyage color scheme is a complex process that requires:
1. extensive staff training from CARLI.
2. adherence to the statement of .
3. awareness of the consortium's Customization Guidelines, which document the features of I-Share catalogs that should remain consistent across the consortium.
4. ongoing communication regarding proposed changes (being tested on development servers) via the WebVoyáge Developers Distribution List ( wvdev@carli.illinois.edu).
5. review by the IUG OPAC Team before changes will be put into production.
According to the Guidelines, additional keyword searches may be added to WebVoyáge at any time through System Administration. Existing left-anchored keyword searches may also be added to WebVoyáge. (Contact CARLI staff.) Creating entirely new left-anchored indexes in your database, however, requires re-indexing your database. Re-indexing means scheduled downtime. Requests to create new left-anchored indexes should be submitted to the I-Share Users' Group.
The vendor releases software version upgrades on an ongoing basis. At each upgrade to the software, WebVoyáge customizations must be reapplied. If your local PAC is highly customized, you should anticipate that version upgrades will necessitate additional, sometimes significant, commitments of your staff time.
The effects of downtime and/or errors in a single library's public catalog on the functionality of the Universal Catalog and Universal Borrowing may be unpredictable. Each library has resource-sharing commitments to fulfill toward the consortium as a whole.
WebVoyáge pages are generated by the webvoyage.cgi. Although some elements of what displays can be modified by directly editing html, much of what displays is generated internally, and can be modified only slightly, via configuration files or System Administration settings. Only staff with high security clearance and technical expertise should be allowed to access these crucial files. Improperly configured files may negatively impact system-wide server performance, and may result in the local PAC not working at all.
There is no single "switch to flip" to achieve a color change in your PAC. Color settings must be repeatedly designated in several spots to achieve a consistent change in all WebVoyáge pages. Graphics files will also need to be updated with new colors.
WebVoyáge’s welcome page, help pages, and page banners are composed of HTML and graphics files. You may be able to achieve a different look for your local PAC simply by substituting your own HTML and image files for those provided in the I-Share local default version of WebVoyáge — without investing in substantial changes to configuration files. Consult the CARLI Office to learn whether/how your desired changes could be accomplished.
In addition to the time required for internal debate and experimentation when undertaking interface re-design, you will need to allow time for the consortial review and software “staging” processes. It is very difficult to predict how long the review process will take. If your library has communicated consistently with the IUG OPAC Team via the wvdev distribution list while your customizations were being developed, if your modifications are modest, well documented, and clearly within the consortial Guidelines, then the process should be very swift. Extensive customizations that OPAC Team members still need to verify are within existing Guidelines, or desired customizations that suggest that the Guidelines themselves need to be modified, may take additional time.