When you first access a Plinkit Web site, the home tab is displayed by default.

The screen shot above shows the basic features of the default Plinkit home tab.

In addition to the standard page elements that appear on every Plinkit page, the default home tab also includes the following features:

1.      News portlet: Displays links to the most current library news items. This portlet is only displayed if current, published news items exist in the site. When you first gain access to your library site, it may include a sample published news item, which you should remove or update.

2.      Library catalog and account access (if available for your library): Allows users to search your library catalog and access their personal library accounts. Library catalog access and library account access must be configured by a Plinkit Administrator and are only possible if the systems used by your library include Web interfaces that can be integrated with Plinkit.

3.      eShelf & Research area: Provides links to general research tools. (These links also appear on the Plinkit eshelf & research tab.)

4.      Statewide resource links: Provide direct access, within the Plinkit page, to specific online library resources. The default Plinkit site includes two sample links to Oregon resources. Your Plinkit Administrator has probably removed or replaced these in your library’s Plinkit site. You can edit or remove any links that appear in this area.

5.      Location & hours portlet: Provides fields for displaying your library’s location, phone number, and operating hours. Initially, this portlet contains meaningless placeholder text. You should replace this “dummy” text with library-specific information as soon as you gain access to your site (for instructions, see Posting Your Library’s Location Hours and Phone Number).

6.      Calendar portlet: Displays a calendar for the current month, with the current date outlined. Dates for which library event announcements exist are highlighted with a differently colored background and bold numbers. Holding the mouse pointer over a highlighted date displays basic event information. Clicking a date reveals more details about all scheduled events for that date.

7.      Upcoming events portlet: Displays a list of upcoming library events. Clicking any event in the list displays more detailed information about the event. This portlet is only displayed if future library event items exist in the site. When you first gain access to your library site, it may include a sample published library event, which you should remove or update.