Check out the script I've been experimenting with for bringing in a menu from the left:
To make this work, the sliding DIV needs to not only appear on the left but also push the 'left panel' and 'right panel' accordingly. Instead of just hovering over the left panel, it should actively move it.
$(document).ready(function(){
$('#slide').click(function(){
var hidden = $('.hidden');
if (hidden.hasClass('visible')){
hidden.animate({"left":"-1000px"}, "slow").removeClass('visible');
} else {
hidden.animate({"left":"0px"}, "slow").addClass('visible');
}
});
});