PustakaKu

PustakaKu is a responsive Blogger template built specifically for school library websites, created by Muhammad Alfin Ramadhan, M.A. It runs on Google's Blogger platform and is installed by uploading an XML theme file, after which it renders a library landing page with a hero section, a search area, a book collection slider, animated statistics, and a sidebar with a live service-hours widget.

What is PustakaKu?

PustakaKu is a Blogger (XML) theme that turns a standard Blogger blog into a school library portal. Its input is the template file PustakaKu-Perpustakaan-Sekolah.xml plus ordinary Blogger posts tagged with labels such as Koleksi or Buku Baru; its output is a library website with catalog-style book grids, a slider of recent books, and an OPAC search tab. Version 1.0.0 is authored by Muhammad Alfin Ramadhan, M.A., with a live demo at pustakaku.muhalfinramadhan.web.id.

Key Features

• Blogger platform, no build step — installed via Theme → Restore → Upload in the Blogger dashboard; no separate hosting or framework toolchain is involved.
• Dual-tab search — a front-page search form switches between an external OPAC catalog (e.g. SLiMS/InlisLite) and the blog's own articles; the OPAC tab hides automatically if its base URL widget is left empty.
• Label-driven book collection — a horizontal swipe/scroll "bookshelf" slider loads posts by label name and uses each post's first image as the book cover, with a recommended 2:3 portrait ratio.
• Dark mode with Local Storage — a toggle button that remembers the visitor's preference between sessions.
• Advanced navigation — the LinkList widget supports dropdowns via underscore prefixes (one underscore for a sub-item, two for a nested level) and mega menus via a mega:LabelName URL format.
• Live service-hours widget — a sidebar widget reads a data-schedule attribute (day numbers plus open-close times) and shows an open/closed status in real time; the blog timezone must be set to a WIB/WITA/WIT zone for accuracy.
• Animated statistics — counters that count up when scrolled into view.
• SEO and sharing built in — Open Graph and Twitter Card meta tags plus share buttons for WhatsApp, Facebook, X, Telegram, and copy-link.
• Performance and ad slots — lazy-loaded images, an SVG sprite for icons, and ad areas above content, inside posts, and above the footer.

Who is it for?

• School librarians and library staff — publish a public-facing library site on Blogger without web development skills, using existing posts as the book catalog.
• School IT administrators — deploy a single XML file through Blogger's Restore/Upload flow and tune colors through the Theme Designer instead of editing CSS.
• Libraries running SLiMS or InlisLite — connect the OPAC search tab to the existing catalog's base search URL so visitors can query the real catalog from the site.

What can you do with PustakaKu?

• Book catalog browsing: tag book posts with a collection label and the template renders them as a swipeable shelf with cover images pulled from the first uploaded picture.
• Catalog search routing: point the OPAC tab at an institutional OPAC base URL so patrons search the library system directly from the homepage.
• Service-hours display: configure the data-schedule string to match opening hours and show visitors an automatic open/closed indicator.
• Announcements and articles: write standard posts without book labels and they render as normal blog articles alongside the collection.

How does PustakaKu work?

Download the XML file, open Blogger → Theme, use the arrow next to Customize to choose Restore, then upload the file. After that, adjust widgets under Layout: the Menu Utama LinkList for navigation, the URL Pencarian OPAC HTML widget for the catalog search base URL, the Koleksi Buku Terbaru widget for the slider's label name, and the Jam Layanan widget for opening hours. Colors are changed in Theme → Customize → Advanced rather than in CSS.

Pricing

PustakaKu is free to use for institutional or school websites. Selling the template without the author's permission is prohibited, and the author asks users not to remove the footer attribution or copyright.

FAQ

Is PustakaKu free?

Yes. The author states the template may be used freely for an agency or school website; what is prohibited is reselling it without permission, and users are asked to keep the footer attribution intact.

Does PustakaKu work with SLiMS?

Yes, the OPAC search tab accepts an SLiMS-style base search URL such as the catalog's index.php search endpoint plus a keywords parameter. If the OPAC URL widget is left empty, the catalog tab is hidden automatically.

Why does the service-hours widget show the wrong status?

It depends on the blog's timezone setting. Set Settings → Format → Time Zone to a Western, Central, or Eastern Indonesia time zone so the open/closed status matches your actual opening hours.

How do book covers appear in the collection slider?

Upload the cover as the first image in the post, ideally in portrait ratio, and add a book label such as Koleksi or Buku Baru. The template loads posts with that label and uses the first image as the cover.