Flags are small, colored text labels that can be used to alert users at-a-glance to special features or information about a database.
There are three default flags for database assets:
Flags appear next to the database name on the public Databases A-Z results page (example shown above) and on the database landing page (if activated). The database will also appear in either the "New / Trial Databases" and/or "Featured Databases" boxes in the right sidebar.
When editing a database asset, flags are available under "Attributes." A database asset can be tagged with multiple flags.
The new Databases A-Z list includes the ability to also create custom flags (text and color). The addition of custom flags in the future will be overseen by the Working Group.
The "New" flag is assigned to newly acquired databases. The database will be highlighted on the Databases A-Z page with a colored flag and will automatically appear in the "New / Trial Databases" box in the right sidebar.
An expiration date can also be set for the flag to have it automatically removed from the database after the selected date. Best practice is to set an expiration date of 3 months from when the flag is applied. The database asset will remain in the system, but once the flag expires, the asset will no longer have the flag or appear in the "New / Trial Databases" box in the right sidebar.
When completing the form to Request a New Database Asset, there is a question where you can indicate that the database is new, and the "New" flag will then be applied when the database asset is created.
The "Trial" flag is assigned to databases that are currently under consideration for acquisition. The database will be highlighted on the Databases A-Z page with a colored flag and will automatically appear in the "New / Trial Databases" box in the right sidebar.
An expiration date can also be set for the flag to have it automatically removed from the database after the selected date (trial end date). There is also an option to automatically have the database "hidden," or removed, from public pages once the expiration date passes. Best practice is to apply this setting for trial databases. The database asset will remain in the system, but it will only be available from the A-Z List Management page (back end) and, thus, can be "unhidden" if acquired in the future.
When completing the form to Request a New Database Asset, there is a question where you can indicate that the database is a trial and specify the end date. When the database asset is created, the "Trial" flag will then be applied, the expiration date will be added, and "Hide from public view on expiration" will be selected.
The "Featured" flag (previously "Popular") is assigned to databases that the Libraries want to highlight on the Databases A-Z list. These databases will received a colored flag and will automatically appear in the "Featured Databases" box in the right sidebar.
The Working Group is responsible for overseeing the list of Featured databases and, while we expect this list to remain somewhat static, it is easy to add or remove this flag from databases.
Best practices for Featured databases: