LibGuide Best Practices

• Less is more!  Usability tests show that users get overwhelmed with a lot of content, so keep text to a minimum.
• Don't cut and paste content from Word documents, Email, LibGuides since this results in extra "mystery" codes that may mess up your guide. 

• To avoid any coding issues, paste as plain text.

      In Chrome, Edge, or Firefox: press Ctrl + Shift + V (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + V (Mac)
      In Safari, press Cmd + Option + Shift + V.

  This will strip out all of the copied formatting, leaving only the text.

• Note:  Do not use PawPrint.  The acceptable replacement term according to DoIT is simply “Username” (as per their website). Prefix the term with “University” (capitalized) to add clarification when needed.

• Ask a Librarian
• CD-ROM
• Course Guides
• Database names--refer to database list (http://library.missouri.edu/databases/main.asp)
• disc (optical)
• Discover@MU
• disk (magnetic)
• DVD
• ebook
• email
• electronic mailing list or e-mail list (not LISTSERV)
• E-Reserves (ERes is dead)
• FindIt@MU
• full-text (as an adjective)
• homepage
• ILL@MU
• interlibrary loan (as a service)
• Interlibrary Loan (as a department)
• Internet
• log in (verb)
• login (noun)
• log on (verb)
• logon (noun)
• Library Catalog
• Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) will replace University of Missouri-Rolla on January 1, 2008
• MOBIUS Catalog
• myZou (replaces STARMU)
• UM Libraries Depository (UMLD)
• UM Libraries Depository Module 2 (U2)
• United States or U.S.
• Web —Acceptable in all references to the World Wide Web.
• Uppercase when used alone or as an adjective: Web
• Lowercase as a prefix: webcam, webmaster, website, webzine, web page.

Use University of Missouri Libraries to refer to all the campus libraries in the first instance.  University Libraries or MU Libraries thereafter.

Use Mizzou Libraries in social media and informal settings.

Do not use Ellis Library as a stand-in for the libraries as a whole. Unless you are referring to a building or services that are specific to a building or specialized  library, use University of Missouri Libraries.

In first reference, capitalize the formal name of the library, e.g. first reference: Ellis Library, second reference: Ellis or library.

Official names of specialized libraries

• A.G. Unklesbay Geological Sciences Library
• Columbia Missourian Newspaper Library
• Engineering Library & Technology Commons
• Frank Lee Martin Journalism Library
• J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library
• Mathematical Sciences Library
• Zalk Veterinary Medical Library

Unofficial names of specialized libraries

• Geology Library
• Engineering Library (EL&TC)
• Journalism Library
• Health Sciences Library
• Math Library
• Veterinary Medical Library

Be concise

• Use short sentences
• Use the Hemingway App to help with readability

Be objective

Use active voice

Use meaningful subheadings not clever ones

Use parallel structure in lists and headings

Converse with personal pronouns like you/your

Be consistent in voice and tone

Make text scannable

• Prioritize--put most important information in top 20% of the page.
• List
  • Use numbered lists for process-oriented information
  • Use bulleted lists for other types of information

Illustrate--whenever possible exchange text for diagrams, videos, charts, and illustrations

Emphasize key words, but don’t overdo it

Make it easy to scan

Prioritize

List

Illustrate

Group similar content together

Select box type (tabbed, gallery, etc)

• Condense multiple boxes into a tabbed box
  • Don't use too many tabbed boxes
  • Tabbed boxes work best when the content is similar
• Streamline your guide with floating boxes

Best practices for attribution for copyright (use 10px)

Use meaningful links. 

Do not use “click here” or “more”

Use action phrases for links (e.g. “subscribe to our newsletter”)

Links added in rich text format (RFT) are not automatically updated.

See Resource Linking for Librarians guide for instructions on finding durable links to materials

• Be sure to use the persistent record link for items in the Library Catalog

For subscribed databases, reuse existing links to ensure that they are kept up-to-date and accurate

• Within new LibGuides box, select to Add Database
• Type the name of the database you want to link to
• Select the entry listing Rhonda Whithaus as owner
• If appropriate, add a custom description for the database

Note:  Rhonda maintains these entries and they are automatically updated on any guide they are copied to - reducing the amount of time you need to spend on maintenance