How to Use the CLA Summer Reading Forum
The California Library Association discussion forum (or discussion board) is made up of a number of separate forum areas relating to the association. "Summer Reading" is the first forum area to be developed. We will be developing other discussion sections to help California librarians in the near future.
Each forum area is made up of sub-sections, such as "Programming" or "Workshops". Within these sub-sections you can find discussion threads (or topics), which are ongoing discussions starting from an initial post and building as other users post replies to the thread.
You are welcome to search and read the forums as a guest, but if you want to add your voice to the discussion you will need to register and login, then you are welcome to post to existing discussion threads or even start your own thread.
Navigating the Forums
To enter a forum, click on its name, e.g. Programming or Workshops. The forum uses breadcrumbs that can be found at the top left of the screen, under the California Library Association name. Breadcrumbs allow you to see your path into the forum. You can click on different items in this list to navigate between different levels of the forum. To return to the main Summer Reading Forum at any time, click on “Summer Reading.”
To Read Discussion Threads
Discussion threads are listed in a box labeled “Topics.” Click on the discussion you are interested in. Messages that have been posted for this topic will show up and you can browse through them, or search using the search box.
To Register
To post to the discussion forum, you need to register and create a new user account. There are 2 links you can follow to register: in the top right corner of the page just under the search bar, and to the bottom left of the page just under the list of discussion topics. Please read through the disclaimer and agree to the terms if you would like to continue on. At this point you will need to create a username, input your email address, and create a password, as well as set your language and time preferences and fill in the confirmation code from the garbled image you are presented with (this is to keep spambots from registering). Once you submit your information, a confirmation email will be sent to you, and you should be able to login and start posting right away.
To Login
In order to make posts or start new threads, you will need to login with your username and password. You can login by following the link in the top right of the page next to the "register" link, or just enter your information at the bottom left of the page under the list of discussion topics. If you are reading a post, and decide to comment but have not signed in already, you will be prompted to log in.
The User Control Panel
Once you are logged in, you have the option of creating a profile for yourself, change your viewing settings, and seeing a report of your activity within the CLA Summer Reading Forum community by going to your User Control Panel. A link to this can be found at the top left of the page just beneath the breadcrumbs which show your current location in the forum. Once you become very active in the forum community you will find that this is an excellent way to keep track of all of your active discussions or topics of interest.
To Join the Discussion, Post!
When you get to a thread you want to add a comment or question on, or to specifically reply to something someone else has posted, click on “Post Reply”, enter text into the text box, then click “Preview” if you want to preview your post or click on “Submit” to post. If you are on the general thread listing, and post a reply, it will post in reply to the entire thread, and be added to the end of the list. If you are on a specific post and post your own reply, this reply will be linked as a response to the specific post you were replying to.
To Edit or Delete Your Post
You can edit or delete your own posts, but not posts submitted by others. Go into the discussion forum where you left the message. Click on the topic where you left the message. Click on “Edit.” Your original subject box and text box will appear. To edit the post: make the necessary changes to your text and then resubmit. To delete: Check the box next to “delete post.” Click submit. You will be asked “Are you sure you want to delete this message?” Click “yes.”
To Start a New Discussion Thread
Within any sub-section you can create a new discussion thread, which presumably pertains to the sub-section topic and has not already been covered by another discussion thread. Creating a new thread is very similar to posting within an existing thread. Click on “New Topic" and you will be presented with a subject box and text box. Enter the discussion topic into the subject box, and put your message in the text box. Click on “Submit.” Reasons for starting a new discussion threads include: a question you would like to pose to the community, a request for help, resources that you think other librarians would benefit from, and so on.
About Moderators
Everyone who has access to post on the CLA forums has agreed to the following condition, "You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, sexually-orientated or any other material that may violate any laws be it of your country, the country where “California Library Association” is hosted or International Law." We ask that you as the reader help us by reporting posts that violate these terms to the moderators. You can easily do this by clicking on the "!" button on the offending post, which will flag it for the moderators.
A selection of FAQs.
For more support, please click on FAQ which you can find in the top right of every page on the discussion board.
Why do I get logged off automatically?
If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you login, the board will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the box during login. This is not recommended if you access the board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university computer lab, etc. If you do not see this checkbox, it means the board administrator has disabled this feature.
What do I do if I forget my password?
Visit the login page and click I’ve forgotten my password. Follow the instructions and you should be able to log in again shortly.
How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?
Within your User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”, you will find the option Hide your online status. Enable this option with Yes and you will only appear to the administrators, moderators and yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.
When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?
Only registered users can send e-mail to other users via the built-in e-mail form, and only if the administrator has enabled this feature. This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by anonymous users.
Why can’t I access a forum?
Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post or perform another action you may need special permissions. Contact a moderator or the CLA office to grant you access.
The California Summer Reading Program is a project of the California Library Association, supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is the sponsoring organization for the 2008 Summer Library Program. Artwork is for use by CSLP members only. Copyright 2007-2008 by Highsmith Inc. All rights reserved. No images may be reproduced without written permission.