For more information about the Web Options described below, refer to Innovative Guide & Reference, Page #106921 Language Handling Options.

• If the WebPAC will be in one language only, and that is a language other than English, (i.e. no alternate languages are offered), use Web Option LANG.

  When this option is used, the library must create Main Menu and OPAC Menu files for the specific language, e.g. mainmenu_thx.html and opacmenu_thx.html for a WebPAC in Thai. There is no need to have language specific versions of other files, and all Web Options can be used without language extensions.

• If more than one language is offered, and the default language should be something other than English, use Web Option ROOTLANG.

  This option specifies the language used by the Main Menu command link ("/"). It means that a link to the "root" URL, e.g. http://ourlibrary.millennium.edu/ will lead to the Main Menu of the language defined in ROOTLANG, e.g. mainmenu_spi.html if ROOTLANG=spi.

If the library has a multi-language WebPAC it is necessary to offer users links to the alternate language(s). This can be done by including links on any customizable HTML page, or in the toplogo files.

The advantage of using the toplogo is that users can change language at any time regardless of where they happen to be in the WebPAC: looking at a search result, a search help screen or the Main Menu:

This method is often used by libraries whose users prefer one or the other (or the third) language, while libraries whose users are mainly using the "root" language may offer a link to the other langauge(s) on the Main Menu only:

In most cases libraries prefer to link users to the OPAC Menu page of the alternate language, e.g:

<a href="/search/">Change Language to English </a>

Another possibility is to offer links to some key functions in multiple languages, e.g. in the toplogo files:

It is possible to offer a list of languages on a separate page by using command link /weblang. This command link works together with Web Options LANGLIST and (optionally) DIACLIST.