LibGuides Best Practices

LibGuides is designed for libraries as a content management system. Librarians (or users) don't need to have coding skills such as HTML and CSS in order to create a guide in LibGuides. It is a great tool to inform, educate and promote library resources to students. According to SpringShare, LibGuides can be used as following:

• Create subject, course, or topic guides
• Use LibGuides as your library website
• Store your A-Z lists for easy reuse
• Create internal guides documenting workflows & procedures
• Create and maintain staff profile pages
• LibGuides is multilingual too!
• Mobile and tablet-friendly out of the box
• Hundreds of powerful features, built with you in mind

However, this list could confuse librarians (or users) or give misimpression in terms of how to use LibGuides. Every library has different situations and contexts. Some libraries could use LibGuides as their library website, staff profile pages as well as intranet while some would have to rely on multiple content management systems. That's why it is important to define a purpose of LibGuides in the context of IUPUI libraries across campus.

At IUPUI, LibGuides is shared by University Library (Herron Art Library, Special Collections & Archives, Philanthropic Library), Medical Library, Dentistry Library, Law Library, IUPUC Library. University Library only has administrative privileges and is responsible for system-level maintenance such as migration from version 1 to version 2. Each library has up to three members to manage assets (databases). In addition, each library has its own group page and its privileges as well. Currently, there are:

• Dentistry Library Group
• IUPUI Group
• Law Library Group
• Medical Library Group
• Great Lakes Equity Center Group (outside)

The IUPUI LibGuides Task Force came to conclusion that LibGuides can be used for in the context of IUPUI:

• Subject guides
• Course guides
• Information literacy related guides
  • Example: How-to guides, Zotero, EndNote, etc.
• Databases A-Z
• Internal guides to support liaison librarians for their liaison responsibilities - IL teaching (this is different from workflows or procedures and etc.)
• Medical library only: Librarians' profile pages

Any new LibGuides' use (outside of the scope listed above) proposed by users should be discussed in the LibGuides Task Force and the Task Force will decide whether it is appropriate to use LibGuides or not.