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LibGuide Practices: Creating a LibGuide

LMU Libraries staff resource for creating, designing, and maintaining university LibGuides.

Creating a LibGuide

Craft dynamic LibGuides with our comprehensive guide! Learn to curate, organize, and design engaging resource collections.

 

*Video does not have sound.

Guide Types

Course Guides

  • Must relate to a specific course.
  • Should focus more narrowly on specific topics or course needs/assignments.
  • Should clearly point users to the liaison librarian responsible for assisting this course.
  • No space between the Course Type and Number: NURS100: Title (Prof)

 

Course Title Structure:

Course Code: Title of Course (Professor Last Name)

*Note that there should NOT be a space between the course code and course number.

 

Example:

NURS115: Foundations of Nursing (Charles)

NURS375: SEWS Resources

 

Friendly URL:

https://library.lmunet.edu/NURS115_Foundations_Charles 

https://library.lmunet.edu/NURS375_sews

 

Exceptions:

  • If you are creating a course guide for multiple sections with different professors, simply leave off the Professor Last Name part.
  • If your guide spans multiple semesters in which the course number changes, you may leave off the course number

Subject Guides

  • Relate to a major, minor, college, or research topic.
  • Should broadly focus on resources for users in this area of study.
  • Should clearly point users to the liaison librarian responsible for this subject area.

Examples:

  • Business Administration
  • Forensic Dentistry
  • Nursing
  • Education

Friendly URLs:

  • https://library.lmunet.edu/business_administration
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/forensic_dentistry
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/nursing
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/education

 

Topic Guides

  • Topic guides are specialized resources within library collections.
  • They concentrate on specific subject areas.
  • Their content often caters to multiple disciplines or majors.
  • Due to their versatility across various subjects, they are categorized as topic guides.

 

Examples: 

  • Leisure Reading
  • Mental Health & Wellness
  • Artificial Intelligence Resources
  • Growing Up and Growing Older Booklist
  • Voter Registration

Friendly URLS:

  • https://library.lmunet.edu/leisure_reading
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/mentalhealth_wellness
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/artificial_intelligence
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/growingup_growingolder
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/voter_registration

General Purpose Guides

These guides cover research concepts and skills that are relevant to all students.

Examples:

  • Reference
  • Using eBooks
  • Citation Guides
  • Information Literacy

Friendly URLs:

  • https://library.lmunet.edu/reference
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/ebooks
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/citations
  • https://library.lmunet.edu/information_literacy

Internal Guides

Created for training or library staff only. Will not be listed on LibGuides main page, even if published.

Examples:

 

Friendly URLs:

  • https://library.lmunet.edu/libguide_practices

LibGuide Builder

Group Assignments

When deciding your guide group assignment, consider the following:

What kind of guide is it? 

If it is a subject guide, you will choose 'CVL Subject Guides'. If the guide is a course, topic, general, or internal guide, you will select 'Carnegie Vincent Library Group'

When choosing your guide type, do not use 'Template'. Any guide submitted under this type or without a type will not be listed until a correction is made. 

Naming Pages

  1. Be Concise, Clear, and Consistent:

    • Keep page names brief yet descriptive.
    • Ensure clarity and uniformity across all page names.

  2. Avoid Library Jargon:

    • Tailor terminology to suit your audience, like using "articles" instead of technical terms.
    • Students are more likely to engage with familiar language.

  3. Summarize Page Content in Names:

    • Use page names that accurately reflect the content within.
    • For pages with diverse resources, opt for descriptive titles like "Recommended Resources."

  4. Establish Clear Purpose and Navigation:

    • Define the guide's purpose to guide students effectively.
    • Simplify navigation with intuitive page names and directional cues like "Step 1," "Step 2," etc.

Guide & Page Descriptions

Why are guide and page descriptions important?

  1. Provide clarity and set expectations for users.
  2. Enhance accessibility for all users.
  3. Improve search engine visibility through relevant keywords.
  4. Engage users and motivate exploration.
  5. Offer guidance on using resources effectively.

How do I write a web page description?

  1. Identify the main topic or purpose of the page.
  2. Highlight key information or benefits users can expect.
  3. Keep it brief, ideally under 160 characters.
  4. Use clear language and avoid jargon.
  5. Incorporate relevant keywords for search engine optimization (SEO).

Subjects & Tags

  • If the LibGuide is for a Subject Guide, insert the appropriate subject. In edit mode, 'Subjects' can be edited by clicking the pencil icon.
  • Make sure to tag your LibGuide with AT LEAST THREE tags.