This document provides tips and guidance for using and maintaining LibGuides. It outlines appropriate uses of LibGuides including for courses, disciplines, and specific audiences. It also describes guide access levels and privacy considerations. Additional tips cover fixing links, adding descriptive text, accessibility, contact information, resizing guides for mobile, and renaming outdated guides. Staff support contacts are provided, and an upcoming workshop is announced.

1. LibGuides
Tips and Tools
August 2015

2. How to get help
• Staff Guide to LibGuides:
http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/staff_guide
• Email a member of the LG team:
Cindy Barry (LIB)
Linda Galloway
Abby Kasowitz-Scheer
Pamela McLaughlin
Michael Pasqualoni
Anne Rauh
Bonnie Ryan
Pamela Thomas

3. Use LibGuides for:
• Course guides (ADV 611)
• Discipline specific guides (Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering)
• Guides for specific audiences (Research Tools for
Student-Athletes)
Do not use LibGuides to present information about
mainstream Libraries’ policies and services.
Instead, use links to the individual policy or service
web pages.
http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/staff_guide

4. Guide Access Levels
• Published - available to everyone & indexed for
search
• Unpublished - only accessible through the admin
interface & not indexed for search (default
status).
• Private - accessible to anyone who knows the
URL, but private guides are not indexed for search
and not visible on the homepage.
Remember, privacy does not equal security! Never
include any sensitive information on a guide.

5. Hyperlinks
• Correct broken links or remove the links from
your guides
• Adding links
– Add descriptive link text
– Open in same window for SU content
– Open in new window for external content, docs
and email addresses
Web Accessibility in LibGuides

6. Who are you?
• Include contact information and/or ASKus on
the home page of all your guides

7. Beware of Resizing !!

8. Beware of Resizing !!
Many
users
access via
mobile
devices!

9. Resizing
Top-tabbed navigation:
small screen view of
tabs can look a bit
jumbled
Side-navigation:
has cleaner look on
small mobile device
Trade-off:
Side navigation limits
each page’s content to
one-column layout

10. Course Guides (Current Semester)
• Rename or remove guides that are not for the
current semester
• Do this by changing the Subjects associated
with your guide

11. Workshop for Authors!
Friday, September 18, 2015
ETC
10am-12pm
Come for as long as your schedule permits!