The University Library web presence consists of roughly 80 sites developed and maintained in the WordPress platform. WordPress allows us to offer a consistent and accessible branded web experience for all our users. The Web Development Team employs an expanding, innovative toolbox of plugins, short codes, and widgets that allow for rich content presentation whether you are an experienced coder or novice.
The University Library has the luxury of its own internal IT department headquartered on the fourth floor of the Main Library. One of the units within Library IT is the Web Team. Consisting of four developers, the Web Team creates, supports, and maintains all Library-related sites across campus on our own and campus-level platforms. Members of the Web Team report to the Director of Library IT.
The Library also employs a web strategist tasked with coordinating our overarching web experience through the utilization of user experience methods in combination with user-case scenarios presented by the unique content and audiences of the many departmental libraries, services, and initiatives within the University Library. The web strategist works in coordinator with the Directory of Library IT and the Web Team to schedule and prioritize projects.
The web strategist is also the designated chair of the Library’s Web Working Group which is a representative group of experts throughout the University Library charged with the oversight of the University Library homepage (often referred to as the “Gateway”), top level “general information” pages, and staff-focused web pages and tools. The Web Working Group is committed to an iterative, modular, user-focused philosophy that adheres to the principles established in the Library’s Framework for Strategic Action.
Each departmental library is the “owner” of their own Web site and our encouraged to unitize the Web Team’s toolbox of short codes, plugins, and widgets to best highlight their unique collections, services, spaces, and expertise.
If, in the process of managing your site you have questions, need assistance with existing tools, you can submit a TDX ticket. You can also contact the web strategist if you are interested in redesigning part or all of your site, or if you have identified a use-case that our current tools do not address.
Our team will be happy to work in collaboration to ensure your library is providing your users with the desired, fully accessible experience possible.
Are you new to the University of Illinois Library, or interested in personally updating your unit website? If you have not done so previously, you will need to complete our WordPress training course and pass a short quiz prior to receiving access. If you do not have access to the training course, you can submit a TDX ticket to request access – select ‘Library IT’ from the ‘Group’ drop-down in the form.
In addition to our course, you can also watch our video overview of WordPress recorded during training for incoming graduate assistants in 2021.
- Accessibility Training
- Style Guide
- Adding Menus
- Broken link reports and repairing broken links
- Creating and Editing Committees and Meetings
- Creating Tables
- Creating Tables Using TablePress
- Embedding Videos in Pages/Posts
- How to Wrap Text Around Images
- LibAnswers (FAQs)
- Linking to PDFs, DOCs and more
- Repairing header image color loss
- Sidebar Widget
- Updating Contact Info and Staff Directory
- Accordion Pane:
[accpane] - Box Title:
[boxtitle] - Button:
[button] - Child Pages: [childpages]
- Collapsible panes
[collapse-pane] - EasySearch & DOI Search: [displayES] | [displayDOI]
- Font Awesome icons:
[fa] - Image Gallery [image-gallery]
- Latest Feed [rssfeed]
- LibAnswers :
[faq] - Lists:
[list] - New Titles Feed: [displayNewTitlesText] OR [displayNewTitles]
- Panes:
[pane] - Person Info:
[personinfo netid=""] - Rows and columns:
[row][column] - Snippets:
[snippet] - Tooltips:
[tooltip] - Unit Contacts:
[unit-contacts unit=""] - Unit Info:
[unit-info unit=""]
As part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University Library aligns itself with the branding expectations (including wordmarks, logos, and typography). The current campus design philosophy and toolbox can be found at the site of the Office of Strategic Marketing and Branding. Questions about these branding requirements and their use on the Library website can be directed to John Laskowski or Heather Murphy, Chief Communications Officer.