LibGuide Best Practices

Links

• Add a link as an asset instead of inserting a link into the Rich Text box by selecting "Link" in the add/reorder drop-down menu.

• This makes sure that link can be easily updated and checked to ensure it is not broken.

Hyperlinks

• If using a hyperlink, avoid using "click here" as the display text. Describe where the user will go when they click the hyperlink.

• Note: The link checker doesn't check links/hyperlinks in text boxes, making guide maintenance more difficult. Consider adding the link as an asset if possible.

Images 

• Both in VSU's Usability Study and in the literature, students have a strong preference for seeing images that relate to the topic at hand. Consider adding:
  • Screenshots when describing a process of how to do a task
  • Relevant graphics such as charts and graphs
  • Relevant posts from the VSU Odum Library Instagram account 
    • Embed posts by selecting the post you are interested in, then clicking the three dots at the top. From there, select "Embed" and copy the code. In LibGuides, select add "media/widget" to a box, give it a name, and then paste the embedded code!
      
  • A banner on the homepage of the guide (these can easily be created in Canva)

Databases

• Add databases by selecting "Databases" in the drop-down menu. If the link to a database needs to be changed, it will only have to be changed once. Avoid adding databases as a link or in text boxes.

  • If you do not see a database that you would like to use in the selection menu, let the Virtual Librarian know you would like for it to be added in LibGuides. 

Books from the Catalog

• This is a great way to showcase titles we own, but keep in mind research guides are online; if the book is only available in a physical format, online users may be frustrated that they can not access them.

  • Evaluate the purpose of adding a physical book from the catalog before choosing to do so.

Order items from most important to least.

• Users typically only click on the first item they see on the page or in a list
• Put the most important information on the first page of the guide

To avoid cognitive overload, list only the top 3-5 most important resources

Evaluate importance before adding anything to the guide

• Does it add something to the guide?
• Does it help achieve the goal of the guide?
• Can it be seen as taking away from the guide?
• Are there other formats available that could display the information better?

• Use the words your users use.  By using keywords that your users use, you will help them understand the copy and will help optimize it for search engines.
• Chunk your content.  Chunking makes your content more scannable by breaking it into manageable sections.
• Front-load the important information. Use the journalism model of the “inverted pyramid.” Start with the content that is most important to your audience, and then provide additional details.
• Use pronouns. The user is “you.” The organization or government agency is “we.” This creates cleaner sentence structure and more approachable content.
• Use active voice. “The board proposed the legislation” not “The regulation was proposed by the board.”
• Use short sentences and paragraphs. The ideal standard is no more than 20 words per sentence, five sentences per paragraph. Use dashes instead of semi-colons or, better yet, break the sentence into two. It is ok to start a sentence with “and,” “but,” or “or” if it makes things clear and brief.
• Use bullets and numbered lists. Don’t limit yourself to using this for long lists—one sentence and two bullets is easier to read than three sentences.
• Use clear headlines and subheads. Questions, especially those with pronouns, are particularly effective.
• Use images, diagrams, or multimedia to visually represent ideas in the content. Videos and images should reinforce the text on your page.
• Use white space.  Using white space allows you to reduce noise by visually separate information.

- usability.gov: Writing for the Web

Reusing Assets

Instead of creating a new link or database, you use one that is already in the system!

Why do I need to do this?

To save time and help with maintenance - only one asset will need to be updated should something change.

For example, if a link breaks, and you reused the link for multiple guides, you only have to update the original link instead of each instance of it being used. 

How?

After adding an asset, select the Reuse Existing Link tab and search for what you would like to reuse. 

Mapping Pages and Boxes

If there is already a guide created that has the information that you need on it, reuse those pages and/or boxes! You will not be able to edit this information, so make sure that it is correct and relevant to your guide. 

Why do I Need to do This?

To save time and help with maintenance - only the original box/page will need to be updated should something change.

For example, if you want to post about MLA citations and resources, and a page about this has already been created, you can just map that page onto your guide for reuse. When a new edition of the MLA handbook comes out, we will only have to update the original page. All mapped pages will reflect the change. 

How?

1. Add a box or page normally.

2. Select the tab "Reuse Existing Box/Page".

3. Select the guide that the box/page is from. 

4. Select the title of what you want to reuse.

NOTE: If you want to make edits to the information, you can select "Copy" when mapping; however, if you do this, the item will not be "mapped" and will not update if the original is updated.

Bergstrom-Lynch, Y. (2019). LibGuides by design: Using instructional design principles and user-centered studies to develop best practices. Public Services Quarterly, 15(3), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2019.1632245

Department of Health and Human Services. (2016, December 7). Writing for the web. Usability.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/writing-for-the-web.html

Lee, Y. Y., & Lowe, M. S. (2018). Building positive learning experiences through pedagogical research guide design. Journal of Web Librarianship, 12(4), 205–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2018.1499453 

O’Neill, B. (2021). Do they know it when they see it?: Natural language preferences of undergraduate students for library resources. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 28(2), 219–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691316.2021.1920535