Essay Features

CB-Essay provides specialized includes that extend Markdown for scholarly writing. This essay demonstrates every feature with working examples you can copy directly into your own work.

The copy-and-replace principle: Find a feature you like, copy the code block, paste it into your essay, and replace the content with yours. That’s it!

Blockquotes

Styled quotations with optional attribution and source links.

Basic Blockquote

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Copy this:

{% include essay/feature/blockquote.html
   quote="Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers"
   speaker="Alfred Lord Tennyson" %}

With Source Citation

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Copy this:

{% include essay/feature/blockquote.html
   quote="Your quote text here"
   speaker="Author Name"
   source="Book or Article Title" %}

Large Centered Quote w/ No Border

The only way out is through

Copy this:

{% include essay/feature/blockquote.html
   quote="Your dramatic quote"
   size="xl"
   align="center"
   border=false  %}

Size options: sm, md, lg, xl, xxl

Align options: left, center, right

Asides (Margin Notes)

Margin notes appear beside your text on desktop, inline on mobile.

Text-Only Aside

Here’s a paragraph with a margin note.This is a margin note providing additional context or commentary. The text continues naturally, and the aside appears in the margin.

Copy this:

{% include essay/feature/aside.html
   text="Your margin note text here" %}

Aside with Collection Item

Collection items can appear in asides with thumbnails.
historic sepia photograph depicting a formal brick and stone building in the College Gothic style
Administration Building, University of Idaho, No. 30 The aside shows a preview of the item with a link to view it.

Copy this:

{% include essay/feature/aside.html
   objectid="demo_001"
   text="Context about this item" %}

Note: The objectid must exist in your collection metadata CSV file.

Image Galleries

Display multiple collection items as inline galleries.

Items after 1900

historic sepia photograph depicting a formal brick and stone building in the College Gothic style
man standing with pump machinery next to a river with trees and mountains in the distance
log cross section showing tree rings and one side of tree bark peeled
interior of a fire lookout tower with map in center and windows in all directions
black and white photograph depicts uniformed person on a white horse looking up a valley forested by ponderosa pines
Colored post card depicts golden rows of wheat on rolling hills with harvest machine being pushed by large horses
Colored post card depicts golden rows of wheat on rolling hills with harvest machine being pushed by large horses
black and white photograph depicts uniformed person on a white horse looking up a valley forested by ponderosa pines
interior of a fire lookout tower with map in center and windows in all directions

Copy this:

{% include essay/feature/image-gallery.html
   objectid="item1;item2;item3" %}

Separate multiple object IDs with semicolons. Items must exist in your metadata.

Mini Maps

Embed small maps at specific coordinates.

This is the library where I work!

Copy this:

{% include feature/mini-map.html
   latitude="46.727485"
   longitude="-117.014185"
   map-zoom="18" 
   caption="This is the library where I work!" %}

Finding coordinates:

  • Right-click location on Google Maps → Click coordinates to copy
  • Or use LatLong.net

Zoom levels: 1 (world) to 18 (street level)

Section Transitions

Create visual breaks between major sections using scrollama transitions.

New Major Section

The section break above creates a visual pause and scroll-triggered transition effect. This helps structure long essays into distinct parts.

Copy this:

{% include essay/new-section.html %}

## Your New Section Title

Content continues here...

Use sparingly - 3-4 sections per essay maximum for best effect.

CollectionBuilder Features

Beyond essay-specific includes, you can use any standard CollectionBuilder feature:

Item Cards

Copy this:

{% include feature/card.html
   objectid="demo_001"
   width="50"
   centered=true %}

Shows a card with the item image and metadata.

Item Images

Copy this:

{% include feature/image.html
   objectid="demo_012"
   width="75" %}

Displays an item image with caption from metadata.

Timelines

For essays with chronological elements, embed the full timeline:

{% include feature/timeline.html %}

Subject Clouds

Visualize subject keywords from your collection:

{% include feature/cloud.html fields="subject" %}

Combining Features

You can combine multiple features for rich, scholarly presentations:

Example: Blockquote + Aside + Map

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Thoreau’s cabin was located on the shores of Walden PondThe cabin measured 10 feet by 15 feet and cost $28.12 to build. in Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived from 1845 to 1847.

The location provided the solitude Thoreau sought for his philosophical experiment in simple living.

Markdown Essentials

Don’t forget standard Markdown features:

Headings

## Heading 2
### Heading 3
#### Heading 4

Text Formatting

Bold text with **bold**

Italic text with *italic*

Bold italic with ***bold italic***

Link text with [text](url)

Images

![Alt text](/assets/img/image.jpg)

Lists

Bulleted:

  • Item one
  • Item two
    • Nested item

Numbered:

  1. First item
  2. Second item
  3. Third item

Code Blocks

Use triple backticks for code:

```yaml
---
title: Your Essay
order: 1
---
` ` ` (remove spaces)

Feature Parameters Reference

Blockquote

Parameter Required Description
quote Yes Quote text (Markdown supported)
speaker No Person quoted
source No Title of source work
source-link No URL to source
size No sm, md, lg, xl, xxl
align No left, center, right

Aside

Parameter Required Description
text No* Margin note text
objectid No* Collection item ID
caption No Override item title
height No Max image height (e.g., 300px)
gallery No Use spotlight viewer (default: true)

*At least one of text or objectid required

Mini Map

Parameter Required Description
latitude Yes Decimal latitude
longitude Yes Decimal longitude
zoom No 1-18 (default: 10)
height No CSS height value

Best Practices

Blockquotes

  • Use for significant quotations only
  • Always attribute with speaker parameter
  • Keep quotes focused and relevant
  • Don’t nest blockquotes

Asides

  • Maximum 3-4 per essay
  • Keep text brief (1-3 sentences)
  • Ensure objectids exist in metadata
  • Test display on mobile

Maps

  • Verify coordinates are accurate
  • Choose appropriate zoom level (12-14 for cities)
  • Add context about the location in text
  • Consider map tile loading time

Section Breaks

  • Use for major structural divisions
  • 3-4 maximum per essay
  • Ensure sections are substantial
  • Works best with longer essays (1000+ words)

Next Steps

You now know every feature available in CB-Essay! The final essay shows how to integrate collection items more deeply:

Collection Integration →

Remember: Copy any feature from this page, replace the content with yours, and it will work in your essay!

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