diff --git a/webapp/web/edit/formPrefix.jsp b/webapp/web/edit/formPrefix.jsp
index 036a9e447..9cee407d8 100644
--- a/webapp/web/edit/formPrefix.jsp
+++ b/webapp/web/edit/formPrefix.jsp
@@ -64,15 +64,15 @@
 	
 <%	String useAutoComplete = (useAutoComplete=request.getParameter("useAutoComplete")) != null && !(useAutoComplete.equals("")) ? useAutoComplete : "false";
 	if (useAutoComplete.equalsIgnoreCase("true")) { %>
-	    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../js/jquery_plugins/jquery-autocomplete/jquery.autocomplete.css"/>	
+	    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<c:url value="/js/jquery_plugins/jquery-autocomplete/jquery.autocomplete.css"/>" />	
 <%	} %>
    
 
     <c:forEach var="cssFile" items="${customCss}">
-        <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="${cssFile}" media="screen"/>
+        <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<c:url value="${cssFile}"/>" media="screen"/>
     </c:forEach>
        
-    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../js/jquery_plugins/thickbox/thickbox.css"/>	
+    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<c:url value="/js/jquery_plugins/thickbox/thickbox.css"/>" />	
 	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<c:url value="/${themeDir}css/screen.css"/>" media="screen"/>	
 	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="<c:url value="/${themeDir}css/formedit.css" />" media="screen"/>
 
diff --git a/webapp/web/edit/formSuffix.jsp b/webapp/web/edit/formSuffix.jsp
index 4fb07c412..70aad6851 100644
--- a/webapp/web/edit/formSuffix.jsp
+++ b/webapp/web/edit/formSuffix.jsp
@@ -13,15 +13,15 @@
 
     </div><!-- end wrap -->
 
-    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="../js/extensions/String.js"></script>
-    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="../js/jquery.js"></script>
-    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="../js/jquery_plugins/jquery.bgiframe.pack.js"></script>
-    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="../js/jquery_plugins/thickbox/thickbox-compressed.js"></script>
-    <!-- <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="../js/jquery_plugins/ui.datepicker.js"></script> -->
-    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="../js/jquery_plugins/jquery-autocomplete/jquery.autocomplete.pack.js"></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="/js/extensions/String.js"/>"></script>></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="/js/jquery.js"/>"></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="/js/jquery_plugins/jquery.bgiframe.pack.js"/>"></script>
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="/js/jquery_plugins/thickbox/thickbox-compressed.js"/>"></script>
+    <!-- <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="/js/jquery_plugins/ui.datepicker.js"/>"></script> -->
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="/js/jquery_plugins/jquery-autocomplete/jquery.autocomplete.pack.js"/>"></script>
         
     <c:forEach var="jsFile" items="${customJs}">
-        <script type="text/javascript" src="${jsFile}"></script>
+        <script type="text/javascript" src="<c:url value="${jsFile}"/>"></script>
     </c:forEach>  
     
 </body>
diff --git a/webapp/web/js/customFormUtils.js b/webapp/web/js/customFormUtils.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29e9bade7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/web/js/customFormUtils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/* $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ */
+
+var vitro;
+if (!vitro) {
+	vitro = {};
+}
+
+vitro.customFormUtils = {
+
+    // This method should always be called instead of calling hide() directly on any
+    // element containing form fields.
+    hideFields: function(el) {
+        // Clear any input and error message, so if we re-show the element it won't still be there.
+    	this.clearFields(el);
+        el.hide();
+    },
+    
+    // Clear data from form elements in element el
+    clearFields: function(el) {
+    	el.find(':input[type!="hidden"][type!="submit"][type!="button"]').val(''); 	
+    	
+        // For now we can remove the error elements. Later we may include them in
+        // the markup, for customized positioning, in which case we will empty them
+        // but not remove them here. See findValidationErrors().  
+        el.find('.validationError').remove();      
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webapp/web/js/utils.js b/webapp/web/js/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d62fa4e42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/web/js/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/* $This file is distributed under the terms of the license in /doc/license.txt$ */
+
+var vitro;
+if (!vitro) {
+	vitro = {};
+}
+/* From "JavaScript: The Definitive Guide," 5th edition, by David Flanagan
+ * Copyright 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc.
+ * ISBN 978-0-596-10199-2
+ */
+
+vitro.utils = {
+
+	// Borrow methods from one class for use by another.
+	// The arguments should be the constructor functions for the classes.
+	// Methods of built-in types such as Object, Array, Date, and RegExp are
+	// not enumerable and cannot be borrowed from with this method.
+	borrowPrototypeMethods: function(borrowFrom, addTo) {
+		var from = borrowFrom.prototype; // prototype object to borrow from
+		var to = addTo.prototype;        // prototype object to extend
+		
+		for (m in from) { // loop through all properties of the prototype
+			if (typeof from[m] != "function") { continue; } // ignore non-functions
+			to[m] = from[m];
+		}
+	},
+	
+	borrowMethods: function(borrowFrom, addTo) {
+		for (m in borrowFrom) { // loop through all properties of the prototype
+			if (typeof borrowFrom[m] != "function") { continue; } // ignore non-functions
+			addTo[m] = borrowFrom[m];
+		}
+	}
+
+};
\ No newline at end of file