lessons learned: getting the most out of libguides panel presentation ncla 59th biennial conference,...

Lessons Learned:Getting the Most Out of LibGuides

Panel presentationNCLA 59th Biennial Conference, October 4 - 7, 2011, Hickory, NC

Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields


Panelists

Jennifer Ballance from Central Piedmont Community College

Randall Bowman from Elon University

Michelle Cosby from North Carolina Central University Law Library

Jenny Dale from University of North Carolina - Greensboro

Nina Exner from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State Univ.

Susan Wolf Neilson from Wake County Public Libraries

Anders Selhorst from Guilford Technical Community College

Kathy Shields from High Point University

Sponsors

BLINC: Business Librarianship In North Carolina section

Community & Junior College Libraries Section


Springshare LibGuides

LibGuides by Springshare:

• Is a platform for online guides

• Or a simplified, library-oriented Content Management System

• Includes easy embedding for multimedia and widgets

• Offers collaboration options


Jennifer Ballance

eLearning LibrarianCentral Piedmont Community College

P | 704-330-6929 E | [email protected]

1. Getting Started and Best Practices

2. Uses

3. Promotion

LibGuides at CPCC

Template

You get “quality control”

You get speedy LibGuide creation

Template

Pre-Built Content

http://researchguides.cpcc.edu/searchboxes

Template

Pre-Built Content

Policies and Procedures

GESPEG

j

Embedded LibrariansPartnering with other departments

Tracking QR code usageDisplays

Internally for librarians

Class Guide vs. General Subject Guide

http://researchguides.cpcc.edu/libraryinstruction

http://researchguides.cpcc.edu/reference

‘soft launch’Blog postEmail signature

V

CPCC

Libguides


Randall Bowman

Elon’s Approach

• Initiated in Fall 2010• Summer: setup and training• Uniform but flexible approach• Adapted Best Practices • Follow-up training sessions

Reference/Instruction LibrarianElon University

Contact Info:[email protected](336) 278-6571

mailto:[email protected]


Randall Bowman

Elon’s Approach

• Two Librarians in charge: one administrator and one trainer

• Professional staff create guides• For respective liaison departments• All Librarians were enthusiastic!• Reception: faculty and students

love them!• Over 96,000 hits in 2011





Randall Bowman

Lessons Learned

• Adopt a best practices “code” at very beginning

• Subject guides/course guides• Homepage: Browse by Subject

– Decide on categories– Class guides under subject





Randall Bowman


Michelle Cosby

Faculty Services Librarian

North Carolina Central University

School of Law

LibGuides in a Law Library

• Law Library– http://ncculaw.libguides.nccu.

edu/

• Shepard Library– http://shepard.libguides.ncc

u.edu/

NCCU LibGuides

http://ncculaw.libguides.nccu.edu/


http://shepard.libguides.nccu.edu/

http://shepard.libguides.nccu.edu/

• Reference Librarians

• Reference Desk Student Workers

• Law Library Research Assistant

• Law Library Interns

Authors

• Faculty• First year law students• Upper class law students• By Subject• Informative

Focus

• Font Face• NCCU Quick Links tab• Meebo Box

Uniformity

NCCU Law Library Quick Links Tab

Meebo Chat Box

• Before guides get published, a co-worker reviews them for errors and consistency.

LibGuides Coordinator

• “LibGuides are Lifesavers!”– LibGuides Launch Party– Signs– Display– Blog postings

• Library Public Access Computers– Home page – Meebo

Advertising

LibGuides are LifeSavers!

Signage

Blog Postings

Other Educational Uses

• Advanced Legal Research – Final project.

• Possibility of incorporating LibGuides into Legal Research for first-year law students– Teaching– Tutorials– Graded Exercises– Example: Boston University School of Law Library

• http://lawlibraryguides.bu.edu/updating

http://lawlibraryguides.bu.edu/updating

http://lawlibraryguides.bu.edu/updating

• NCCU Law Library LibGuides Page– http://ncculaw.libguides.nccu.edu/

Questions?



Jenny DaleUNC-G

LibGuides at UNCGLibrarian,

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Contact info :[email protected]


Background

• Looking for an easier and more sustainable way to manage guides

• IT recommendation departmental discussions investigative team decision to implement

Jenny DaleUNC-G

Librarian,University of North

Carolina at Greensboro



Implementation

• Two reference librarians coordinated rollout– Feedback– Best practices and master guide– Staff training

• Individual consultations

Jenny DaleUNC-G





Lessons learned

• Best practices are key• Continuing staff training Jenny Dale

UNC-G





Nina ExnerNC A&T

Evening Services Librarian,North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

PhD Student, UNC SILS

Contact Info:[email protected]

(336) 285-4177

LibGuidesat

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State

University

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical“NC A&T”

• Medium-sized (about 10,000 FTE)• Land grant university in the UNC system• Doctoral, research intensive• HBCU• Located in Greensboro, NC• 6 Reference/information literacy librarians


Nina ExnerNC A&T




(336) 285-4177

NC Agricultural and Technical implemented LibGuides in 2009.

Because of timing and staffing we did not have a systematic roll-out plan.

Each librarian explored and experimented at their own rate.


Nina ExnerNC A&T




(336) 285-4177

Highest subject-oriented LibGuide uses are in the social science areas

• Sociology• Counseling

Heavy LibGuide use in narrative topics

• Literature Review how-to• Text-In-Community reading


Nina ExnerNC A&T




(336) 285-4177

Lessons LearnedDo:• Set up tip-sharing meetings• Let people experiment• Decide on a trigger to help people decide where to begin

Don’t: • Expect everyone to adopt at the same rate without training

• Demand every class or other event be responded to

• Set too strict rules on Guides


Susan Wolf Neilson

LibGuides @ Public Libraries

Many uses, many designs

Wake County Public Libraries

Contact info:[email protected]

Library Home Page

Brief “Ready Reference subject” guides

“Research Portal” to other LibGuides

Reading Lists

Information Pages

The “Kids Common”

Wake County Public Libraries

• Trying to use LibGuides for:– Subject Guides– Reading Guides– Information and News

…at Wake County Public Libraries

At WCPL – redesigning our old subject guides from:

and this:

to this:

LibGuidesThe Good• Helps reference staff organize what would be straightforward

info in a more pleasing manner.

• Instead of long linear list, more opportunity for more topics/sections to be revealed and viewed as relevant - with columns.

• Printing is acceptable for reference related materials, no real need for fancy pictures and aesthetics for this topic.

• Tabs will allow public see related and possibly more detailed materials.

LibGuides The Bad• Statistics. Rich Text box allows embedding images, however it does

not seem to record analytics -no stats on links placed in Rich Text boxes. In order to get stats links need to be in the Link Boxes. Text links aren't as aesthetically pleasing, but getting analytics on how the guides are being used is more important than having graphics as links.

• Not connected to catalog for reading lists. DearReader type programs are easier to pull book titles from catalog because it’s already connected to it – just insert ISBN and the book pic, notes, link to catalog, comments and reviews appear. Can produce new book lists directly from catalog records, for example. More work for less outcome.

• Printing is not as aesthetically pleasing.

Printing the guides okay for this -

but not so much for this---

Like this better---

and this---

WCPL will…

Continue to pursue LibGuides for Reference and News related information

X Not continue to use for Reading guides.


Anders SelhorstGTCC

Lessons Learned: Getting the Most Out of LibGuides

• Background: Guilford Technical Community College started using LibGuides in February 2008

• Highlights from our experience using LibGuides

• Keys to successful implementation of LibGuides

Librarian,Guilford Technical

Community College



Highlights


GTCC Library Website

Highlights


GTCC Library Website

Highlights

Our Customized LibGuides Layout


Keys to successful implementation:



1. Librarian buy-in is crucial




2. Dedicated facilitator of

LibGuides




2. Dedicated facilitator of

LibGuides

3. Think about your users

Kathy Shields

Head of Reference & Instruction, High Point University

Email:[email protected]

*as of Sept 22




Contact Information

Jennifer Ballance , [email protected]

Randall Bowman , [email protected]

Michelle Cosby , [email protected]

Jenny Dale , [email protected]

Nina Exner , [email protected]

Susan Wolf Neilson , [email protected]

Anders Selhorst , [email protected]

Kathy Shields , [email protected]

BLINC: Business Librarianship In North Carolina section

http://groups.google.com/group/BLINCNCLA

Community & Junior College Libraries Section

http://www.nclaonline.org/community-junior-college

Distance Learning Group (New!)

http://www.nclaonline.org/college-university/nc-distance-learning-group



http://www.nclaonline.org/community-junior-college

http://www.nclaonline.org/college-university/nc-distance-learning-group


Thank you for listening.

For general follow-up information contact Nina Exner,

[email protected].

lessons learned: getting the most out of libguides panel presentation ncla 59th biennial conference,...

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