LibGuide Training

While creating your guide, you will want to periodically check the preview of your guide to see what it will look like published, especially since there are several aspects of the guide that will look different from editing mode. You can preview the guide at any time. To do so, select the eye icon at the top of the page while in editing mode. 

A new tab will open with a preview of your guide showing exactly what it will look like once published. 
 

Please note: This is NOT your published guide. You can share the link to the preview using the URL at the top, but this is not the final version of your guide. To publish your guide, please see the page "Publishing your Guide".

Subject/Tags

When a guide is assigned a subject, it is grouped with other guides of that subject on a Subject Homepage. It is best practice to assign a subject to guides as necessary. Subjects at VSU are listed as majors or departments. We also have a subject titled "Research Help" for how-to guides as well as guides pertaining to library resources. If your guide does not fit in to a subject, do not assign one and leave this blank. 

Tags contribute to the findability of your guide by allowing users to search different terms not found in the title to find the information that they are looking for. Some helpful information to include in tags are:

• the professor's name (for course guides)
• the course name (Ex: Marketing)
• the course number (Ex: Engl 1102)
• what the guide contains (Ex: primary sources, test prep, OERs)
• who the guide is marketed to (Ex: first-gen, online, nontraditional)

 To add Subjects and Tags, select the pencil icon near the data you want to add.

Friendly URL

Make sure you include Friendly URLs as a part of your guide. The Friendly URL makes it easier to share your guide with others and for others to understand what it is they will be looking at. Select a URL that describes your guide or you can use the title of the guide. Do not include spaces in the URL.

To edit the URL, select the pencil icon beside the URL section at the top of the guide.

Alt Text

Alt Text should be included in every image unless the image is for decorative purposes only. Alt Text ensures that our guides are screen-reader friendly. To see examples of Alt Text, check out Harvard University's Digital Accessibility Page. 

Headings

Consider breaking large chunks of text up into more manageable areas using headings and subheadings. Make sure you use the correct order of headings and do not skip heading levels. Using the correct order of headings makes it easier for those who use screenreaders to understand the flow and order of the material. When you use headings/subheadings out of order, it can confuse the screen reader and may cause the reader to miss sections of your text.

Always start with Heading 3 when using headings in LibGuides. With each subheading, reduce the heading number by one. See the example below:

1. 1. Heading 3
   1. 1. Heading 4
   2. 2. Heading 4
      1. 1. Heading 5
         1. 1. Heading 6
      2. 2. Heading 5
2. 2. Heading 3

Adding Headings

In the Rich Text Editor, highlight the text that you want to be your heading/subheading. Navigate to the ribbon above the text area and select the drop-down menu that reads "Normal". Select the correct heading and your text should change formats to reflect that heading/subheading. 

Accessibility Checker

There are several accessibility checkers online that will help make sure that you have added alt text, used correct headings, and that all colors are accessible! I recommend running each page through an accessibility checker of your choice to ensure your guide is accessible. Here are some of my favorites: