Accomplishments

• LBHC Library Gateway [see also the "before" version]
  • To give the site an aesthetic freshening, disparate elements from the old site were integrated into a consistent, coordinated page template to frame the content.
  • The links were organized under four headings. While some links were added or removed, most of the links were taken directly from the old page.
• Crow Census Database, 1885 to 1930
  • This database, a useful genealogy tool, contains records from four census years: 1885, 1900, 1910, and 1930. Although the database had been available online once before, migration to a different server presented technical issues that forced it offline. To restore its functionality, the database was converted from Microsoft Access to MySQL, and PHP scripts were written to support user queries.
• Legislative Document Search
  • This interface makes resolutions (bills), agendas, and minutes of the legislature accessible to tribal members and the general public. The document collection can be searched for text and filtered according to month/year and document genre (resolutions, agendas, and/or minutes).
  • The heart of the Legislative Document Search is a customized open-source Perl script. Key to the success of this project is its simplicity and ease of maintenance: Since there is no database per se, all that is needed for maintenance/updates is an FTP client. Adding new documents to the collection is as easy as uploading them to the appropriate directory.
  • The above link connects to a prototype version that contains only four sample documents. Full implementation is pending approval by the legislature.
• Image Archive
  • Part of the greater Archives section of the library website, the Image Archive makes it possible for users to search a growing collection of historical images based on text in the image title or description. Users can specify whether to receive search results as images and text, or a text list only—a convenient option for users on slower connections.
  • This project also includes a full-featured management interface that allows administrators to add new images to the collection, change the records of existing images (update descriptions, etc.) and delete images from the collection.
• Sustainability
  • Each of these website areas was designed to be managed, maintained, and used by the existing Library and IT staff using tools and expertise already in their possession. Documentation explaining the programming rationale and file structure was created for the staff. For patrons, a tri-fold brochure introducing the website and its core areas was designed. After all, the "finished product" is truly never "finished" at all—but instead is intended to serve as a well-grounded leaping off point, from which the Library and IT staff are well equipped to carry on.

Crow Agency, Montana