Creating Placards

PLACARDS

Placards are strategically placed banners that can help you promote your resources, event, list, and much more. When your patrons perform catalog searches that match keywords or phrases which are specified by you with each post your placard will appear above the search results. 

How to create a placard:

1. Click on the dropdown menu 

2. Select Aspen Administration 

3. Under Local Catalog Enrichment choose Placards 

4. Click on Add New

5. Give your placard a title 

   1. This will not show on the placard itself and is only seen internally. 

6. OPTIONAL: Select a start and/or end date for the placard. 

   1. If a start date is selected, the placard will not show before that time. If an end date is selected, the placard will show up until that time has passed. If no date is chosen for either the placard will continue to show indefinitely. This can be used to promote events and resources that are only available during a certain time. Or you can set the start date for when the resource is available before it is available. 

7. OPTIONAL: Check the dismissible box if you want users to be able to dismiss the placard. This can also be used for placards with the same trigger words as only the first made placard will show. But once that placard is dismissed then the other will show up in its place. 

8. Type text for your placard in the provided Body space. You can use the text formatting options to increase the font size, upload images, and add links. 
   

9. OPTIONAL: a custom CSS can be added in the provided space below the body. With the custom code, you can change the colors of the background plus many more creative changes within the placard.
   
   

10. OPTIONAL: Add an image. This could be a logo for the resources or some other descriptive image. If using an image for the entire placard, the maximum recommended dimensions are specified here (800px by 150px)
    
    

11. If uploading an image, add alt text. 

    1. This text is used by screen readers for accessibility. Definitely fill in the alt text if you plan to use an image for the entire placard instead of a mix of image and text. 
       

12. Add a URL here to link the entire placard

    1. Adding a link will make the entire placard clickable. If you only want certain text within your placard to be clickable, you can use the text box instead. 

13. Click ‘Add New’ to add trigger words for your placard. Add as many trigger words as you like. 

    1. When catalog searches contain any of the keywords you specify, your placard will appear above the search results. 

    2. OPTIONAL: What does ‘Exact Match’ do? When this is checked, the placard will only appear if the exact trigger words are searched. 

14. Selecting language(s)

    1. Selecting a language here allows you to target placards based on which interface translation the patron is using. If you want your placard to show up for everyone regardless of language translation, click ‘Select All.’

15. Select the appropriate library (your library should be the only one showing). If no library is selected, your placard will not appear. This keeps the placard in ‘draft’ form. 

16. Save changes. This placard should now appear in the search results. If this is a new placard this might take a minute or two to show in the search results. If it doesn't appear immediately please give it a few minutes and try again.