Resource Library's content presentation guidelines

Resource Library: Content Presentation Guidelines

Since the inception of Resource Library Magazine in 1997, with a later name change to Resource Library, content presentation guidelines have evolved. In early years there were substantive changes while in later years minor changes or none at all. The following information reflects the current guidelines. Please see Overview and About TFAO for more information on the evolution of the publication. Since the guidelines have evolved over many years, some articles and essays may not conform to the latest guidelines. Resource Library reserves the right to change Content Presentation Guidelines at any time and without notice.

Simplicity principle

Resource Library presents content from institutions and private sources in an unadorned manner so that emphasis is on the subject matter of articles and essays. Our sources appreciate keeping the reader's focus on their words and images. We firmly believe in the "keep it simple" principle as applied to page design.

HTML

Each article or essay is digitized in HTML format for presentation on the Web. A "page" in Resource Library is the same as a separate URL. Use of basic HTML allows all text content to be accessible across all devices and with optimum download speed. No Java, Flash or dynamic files are used. And by the way, Resource Library never uses cookies.

Stylebook conventions

Resource Library follows wherever possible, using HTML editing software, the stylebook conventions used by authors and publishers in each original paper-printed text with the exceptions contained in Resource Library's conventions and additional guidelines. For details, see:

Text presentation conventions and additional guidelines

Formatting and proofreading

and

Article and essay headers

Resource Library editor's notes

Author information

For articles and essays with named authors, wherever available, there is a condensed biography of the author following the article or essay text. Here is an example.

Images and photo credits

Please see Submitting materials and especially Should I submit images? for preferences in publication of images. Whole images may be published in sizes other than TFAO's preferred sizes depending on the shape of an art object or the need to show detail within the artwork, or for other reasons. Location of images on a page is at the discretion of Resource Library, unless there are specific instructions by the provider of an image. Resource Library usually does not embed captions or photo credits within image boundaries. A thumbnail image of an image may be placed on a text page with a link to an enlargement of the image in order to conserve space on the text page. Images contained in pages relating to exhibits and institutional exhibitors themselves are courtesy of the indicated exhibitor unless otherwise noted. Publicity images provided by sources are used only for their intended purpose. In cases where submitted images include distracting backgrounds -- which would cause presentation of the art objects to appear unprofessional -- surrounding the intended art objects, the original images may be cropped to leave only the art objects.

Comparison with other publications

Please read how Resource Library differs from paper-printed publications.

Routing block

For the convenience of readers, at the very bottom of each Resource Library page (see the bottom of this page as an example) is usually located a block of information containing links to the homepages of both Resource Library and Traditional Fine Arts Organization.

Return to home page of Resource Library

About Resource Library:

Resource Library is a free online publication of nonprofit Traditional Fine Arts Organization (TFAO). Since 1997, Resource Library and its predecessor Resource Library Magazine have cumulatively published online 1,300+ articles and essays written by hundreds of identified authors, thousands of other texts not attributable to named authors, plus 22,500+ images, all providing educational and informational content related to American representational art. Texts and related images are provided almost exclusively by nonprofit art museum, gallery and art center sources.

All published materials provide educational and informational content to students, scholars, teachers and others. Most published materials relate to exhibitions. Materials may include whole exhibition gallery guides, brochures or catalogues or texts from them, perviously published magazine or journal articles, wall panels and object labels, audio tour scripts, play scripts, interviews, blogs, checklists and news releases, plus related images.

What you won't find:

User-tracking cookies are not installed on our website. Privacy of users is very important to us. You won't find annoying banners and pop-ups either. Also, our pages are loaded faster without cookies. We want you to view Resource Library content as quickly as possible. Resource Library contains no advertising and is 100% non-commercial. .

(left: JP Hazeltine, founding editor, Resource Library)

Search Resource Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art.