Website Design
ORGANIZING YOUR PAGES
STRUCTURING YOUR GUIDE
VISUAL APPEAL
To Tab or Not to Tab?
LibGuides 2 allows you to stick with traditional tab layout OR you can switch and have a side navigation menu on the left of the screen. Click on the Side Navigation tab above to see what this new display looks like.
Make LibGuides More Like Tutorials
LibGuides 2 allows you to easily attach Preview and Next buttons to the bottom of your pages. Click on the Tutorial Buttons tab above to learn more.
The side navigation option creates a left-side menu bar for each of your pages.
To use the Side Navigation option:
The Previous / Next buttons are easy ways for users to navigate through your guides. When this option is selected, the previous and next buttons will automatically show using the titles you have created for your pages.
To add Tutorial Buttons:
1. Click on Prev / Next Links in the Edit Guide menu
2. In the box that pops up, check the box to display the buttons and click Save.
When naming your pages, be CONCISE, CLEAR, and CONSISTENT.
AVOID LIBRARY JARGON. Always consider your audience. For freshman, articles is a lot less ambiguous than databases or WMS. Remember that students are less likely to click on something that they don't understand, so even having an explanation on the page will not necessarily be enough.
MAKE SURE THE NAME OF THE PAGE SUMMARIZES ALL ITS CONTENT. If the page includes links to websites, books, and journals, make sure the link says Recommended Resources instead of just Websites.
ESTABLISH A CLEAR PURPOSE AND NAVIGATION FOR THE GUIDE. If you want students to progress through your guide in a certain way, consider renaming the homepage, adding prev/next buttons, or even adding Step 1, Step 2 helpers to the names of your guide pages.
Examples:
Library Hours
Study Rooms
My Library Account
Library Website
