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
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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 Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
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
‘soft launch’Blog postEmail signature
V
CPCC
Libguides
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Reference/Instruction LibrarianElon University
Contact Info:[email protected](336) 278-6571
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Reference/Instruction LibrarianElon University
Contact Info:[email protected](336) 278-6571
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Randall Bowman
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Randall Bowman
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Randall Bowman
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
• 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
• NCCU Law Library LibGuides Page– http://ncculaw.libguides.nccu.edu/
Questions?
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Jenny DaleUNC-G
LibGuides at UNCGLibrarian,
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Contact info :[email protected]
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Contact info :[email protected]
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Implementation
• Two reference librarians coordinated rollout– Feedback– Best practices and master guide– Staff training
• Individual consultations
Jenny DaleUNC-G
Librarian,University of North
Carolina at Greensboro
Contact info :[email protected]
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Lessons learned
• Best practices are key• Continuing staff training Jenny Dale
UNC-G
Librarian,University of North
Carolina at Greensboro
Contact info :[email protected]
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
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.
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
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.
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Contact info :[email protected]
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Highlights
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Highlights
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
GTCC Library Website
Highlights
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
GTCC Library Website
Highlights
Our Customized LibGuides Layout
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Keys to successful implementation:
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Keys to successful implementation:
1. Librarian buy-in is crucial
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Keys to successful implementation:
1. Librarian buy-in is crucial
2. Dedicated facilitator of
LibGuides
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Keys to successful implementation:
1. Librarian buy-in is crucial
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
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
Jennifer Ballance Randall Bowman Michelle Cosby Jenny Dale Nina Exner Susan Neilson Anders Selhorst Kathy Shields
Thank you for listening.For general follow-up information
contact Nina Exner, [email protected].