GAELIC Summer Camp Day 1 Marketing Fair

1. GAELIC SUMMER TRAINING CAMP
15 NOVEMBER 2010
“LIBGUIDES @ WITS : INFOLIT
THROUGH WEB 2.0
TECHNOLOGY”
Xoliswa Xanko 1
Xoliswa Xanko
Commerce Library
University of the Witwatersrand

2. OVERVIEW
Subject portals Background
Motivation
Elements of the subject portal
Libguides Development at Wits
Reasons we changed
Elements of Wits Libguides
Advantages and Disadvantages
Experiences, lessons learnt, & challenges
Conclusion

3. Definitions
Subject Portal LibGuide
“An online gateway that
helps users to quickly &
efficiently find reliable
scholarly subject based
information in one place”
Source:
Http://www.polytechnic.edu.na/libray/search/allde
pt.php
“a content management
tool allowing librarians to
organise and present
library collections and
services to users in a
customisable fashion
using Web 2.0
applications”
Source:
Libguides reviewed by Ellie Bushhousen, J Med
Libr Assoc. Jan 2009

4. Motivation
• Information overflow
• Tight deadlines
• Limited knowledge and awareness
• Unstructured and ineffective searches
• Increase in library web pages
• Relevance of portals
• Value add: Information literacy

5. Elements of the Subject
Portal
• Assignments
Reference Sources
Indexes / Databases
Locating Subject Journals
Web Resources
Writing and presenting your work
Library Resources

6. Elements (cont…)
• Need Information? / Ask a Librarian
Course Reserves
Company Information
Newspapers
Current Awareness
Statistics
Other Libraries
Guides and Tutorials

7. Subject Portals: Old Model

8. From Subject Portals
To Libguides
• Reasons why we wanted change
Author access to guides
All changes through Webmaster
Need of timely updates
Little opportunity to innovate
Single scrolling page vs Tabs
Usage statistics

9. Libguides
• Product from Springshare
• 2009: Discussions to consider Libguides
• March 2010: Trial access &
experimentation
• April 2010: Funding finalised
• May 2010: Subscription
• June 2010: Training sessions for Librarians
• July 2010: Libguides Team established

10. Development of Wits Libguides
• Libguides Team
Decision: Migrate elements and content
of old Subject Portals
Develop a Wits Library Libguides
Template for guidance
Balance standardisation and creativity
Develop checklist for Quality Control

11. Checklist for Quality Control
• Consistency tab names and order
• Adjustments for disciplines
• Colour & fonts
• Use of Link boxes
• Details of Librarian profile boxes

12. Elements of Wits Libguides
• Home
• Library Services
• Reference Sources
• Electronic Resources
• Need Help
• Useful web links
• Basic steps in the Research Process

13. Libguides

14. Libguides

15. LIBGUIDES
ADVANTAGES
• Tailor-made guides
• Flexibility
• No coding knowledge
• Auto generated content
• Easy to navigate
• Ease of including dynamic
content and multimedia
• Increased usage of electronic
resources
• Attachments
• Comprehensive usage
statistics
• Feedback Box
• Create back-up files
• Multiple authors
• Subject knowledge
• Libguides Team
Xoliswa Xanko 15

16. LibGuides
Disadvantages
• Initial setup – time consuming
• Intense & repeated training
• Manual migration from old Portals to
Libguides
• Not free

17. Libguides
• Experiences & Lessons Learnt
Team approach is better
Benchmarking
Value-add
New skills and competencies
Input & feedback
Sharing templates
Used as course guides, readers advisory, etc

18. CHALLENGES
• Target key academics
• Positive relationship
• Demos to Schools
• Cross linking School websites and Libguides
• Possibility for Classroom & Libguides
integration
• Regular updates
• Student Training
• Presentations
- Senate Library Committee, 2011

19. CONCLUSION
• Libguides are an effective, efficient, user friendly
web 2.0 technology - a gateway to vast
information resources
• What Libguides have done for Wits
Personal gratification
Subject knowledge
Increased usage of electronic resources
Information literate user

20. Thank you.
Questions?