PASADENA LOCATION LIBRARY

MORE TIPS...
1. Maximizing your searches.
2. Privacy issues.
3. Quirky little things.
4. Using My Locations.
5. Future Expansion.

1. Maximizing Your Searches
You can do searches with one keyword or several by holding down the control key and left clicking on a number of other keywords.  The more keywords you add, the narrower your search results.  For instance, if you select Colonial, residential and swimming pool as your keyword search items, the system will only display swimming pools at Colonial homes.  It may not show the rest of the photos for the Colonial or other Colonials in the City without swimming pools.

Good keywords to include with each search:  When doing a search, it’s more effective to add one keyword from each of  the following pairs:  “residential” or “commercial” and “interior” or “exterior.”  Note:  Anything that is not residential is coded with the word “commercial.”

For example, if you are looking for a Colonial Ballroom in a Masonic Lodge, the system will return dozens of photos if you search only using the keyword “Colonial.” These photos would include residential properties, the interiors and exteriors of colonial homes, and anything else with the keyword “Colonial.” However, if you add the keywords “commercial,” “interior,” and “Colonial,” you will be able to more quickly identify your Masonic Lodge with a Colonial ballroom.

Another example: If you want to view the exterior photos of only Tudor homes, use the keywords “residential,” “exterior,” “Tudor.”

 Happy searching!

2. Privacy Issues
All photos coded with the keyword "commercial" (meaning anything that's non-residential) will show all contact information that the City has received from the location owner.  We can display photos with all contact information (that we have) on commercial or non-residential properties because they are in the public domain. 

Any properties coded with the keyword "residential" will only display a picture film ID code (the first five letters of the picture name) and the picture number as well as a contact phone number.  Please write down the picture film ID of any property that interests you.  We are required to maintain the privacy of residential property owners. You can contact our office at 626-744-3964, so we can validate your identity and we'll provide you with the complete contact information when you provide us with the film ID. Or you can save time and call the contact number  and get the information directly from the location owner. If no contact number is displayed, that means we don't have it either, but we can at least give you the address.

3. Quirky Little Things
Even the best systems have quirky little things they do which can cause hours of frustration or confusion if you're not aware of them.  We did our best to remove the "quirk" from our new library, but alas even the best intentions of mice and men...

Here they are:
a. When you do your Location Search and the process bar  below indicates that the download is finished, be sure to scroll down the page to see your search results (i.e. photos).  Otherwise it will appear that nothing has happened and you may wait forever!  Without scrolling down after the system bar indicates it's finished downloading, you'll still see the search box displayed along with the keyword view.  All you need to do is... scroll down!

b. When you're in My Locations and are deciding to email everything in this portfolio to yourself or the appropriate parties, be sure to include everyone.  You won't be able to take the email the system sends you and forward it to additional people later.  Well, you can, but the pictures won't display.

4. Using My Locations
My Locations allows you to save only the photos that interest you and to email or print these photos.  Select the Clear My Locations button to clean out the photos and prepare for a new search.  Otherwise, the photos from previous searches will continue to accumulate under My Locations.  NOTE:  If you have the Email or Print dialogue active, you won't be able to Clear My Locations.  You need to use the Back button to deactivate the dialogue and clear the locations.

5. Future Expansion
We will continue to update and improve the location library database by adding  new locations, photographs and information.  We would like to add to the Location Search page the ability to search by Location Name.  This would be possible for non-residential properties only, due to privacy issues.