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LibGuides Best Practices: Groups

This is a guide and style manual for Alkek Library Staff to use when creating and editing LibGuides.

What are Groups?

Groups are another layer of organization available in LibGuides. Unlike Subjects, a guide can only be assigned to one group at a time. Group pages can be customized.

Current groups available are:

  • Course Guides
  • Subject Guides
  • Special Topics Guides

 

  • Round Rock Guides
  • University Archives Guides

Groups that are changing

Current Groups that will become Subjects

  • Collection Development Guides
  • Environmental Scan Guides

Current Groups that will become Special Topics Guides

  • Faculty Guides
  • Graduate Student Guides
  • Pace & Career Guides

Current Groups that will become a Type

  • Staff (Internal)

Available Groups

Definition

Course Guides are one type of guide developed on the LibGuides platform. Course guides are publicly available via the Library website and the LibGuides Main Page.

Guidelines for Developing a Course Guide

Each course guide will be unique and will be developed by the librarian based on the request of the faculty member and the needs of the course. 

The “home” page of the course guide may have any or all of the following common elements.

Suggested Homepage Boxes for Course Guides 

About this Guide & Course

This course guide was developed for students enrolled in EDTC 5310 (Introduction to Educational Technology).   Developed by Arlene Salazar in cooperation with Dr. Sam Whitehouse, Professor in the College of Education, the guide highlights useful library resources and suggests library research techniques. EDTC 5310 provides hands-on experience with a variety of educational uses of microcomputers in early childhood, elementary, middle, and high schools. Review of relevant research and discussion of current issues will also be included.  [insert link to course website or TRACS site if appropriate] 

Librarian’s Profile 

The librarian who develops the guide should add their profile box with contact information.

Ask-a-Librarian Chat Widget

Ask-a-Librarian should be added below the librarian’s profile to facilitate contact for students when librarian is not online.

Quick Links

The Quick Links Box should be added to facilitate accessing library services. 

Related Guides 

Related Guides should include links to related LibGuides which may be other course guides or subject guides.

Tabs to Include on a Course Guide

As a result of the unique nature of course guides, the names of tabs and number of tabs within a course guide are left up to the discretion of the librarian who is developing the guide.  There may be some similarity among course guides.  For example, many subject guides may have a tab entitled “Finding Articles” or “Finding Web Resources”, but there is no expectation that course guides will be uniform in terms of the number of tabs and labels for tabs.  These will be determined by the course, discipline, topic, focus, etc. and are at the discretion of the librarian. Tab names should be consistent.

Definition

 

Subject Guides are developed by a librarian for a specific Major or Discipline taught at Texas State University and ideally there should be a Subject Guide for every Major or Discipline taught at the university.  Subject Guides have a basic format consisting of Database, Books/Catalog, Web tabs, and Reference results.  This may vary according to the needs of the topic.  However, a tab with career information is required on each Subject Guide. [DISCUSS THIS]

All Subject Guides must have a Career tab that includes:

 

  • A link to Career Services
  • What do I do with my Major? box
  • Selected Alkek sources for careers in that subject area
  • Links to Professional Associations

Suggested Homepage Boxes for Subject Guides 

About this Guide

Welcome to Alkek Library. This guide is intended to introduce you to the library's resources and how to find the information you need. If you need any help with your research, please don't hesitate to contact me. [LIBRARIAN MAY EDIT AS NEEDED]

Librarian’s Profile 

The librarian who develops the guide should add their profile box with contact information.

Ask-a-Librarian Chat Widget

Ask-a-Librarian should be added below the librarian’s profile to facilitate contact for students when librarian is not online.

Quick Links

The Quick Links Box should be added to facilitate accessing library services. 

Related Guides 

Related Guides should include links to related LibGuides which may be other course guides or subject guides.

Tabs to Include on a Subject Guide

Subject guides should have the following tabs (pages):
  • Home
  • Finding Articles
  • Suggested Databases
  • Finding Books
  • Web Resources
  • Career & Job Resources

Definition

Special Topics Guides focus on a special topic, event, collection, or as a companion to a workshop or presentation. It is intended to highlight, inform, and compliment events and outreach initiatives. Special Topics Guides are usually developed in response to an event, workshop, or to highlight a special collection.

Guidelines for Special Topics Guides

Each Special Topics Giude will be unique and will be developed by the librarian based on the event, topic, workshop or presentation.

Examples of Special Topics Guides include:

Common Experience Guides

Citation Analysis & Impact Factor

Bibliotherapy & Play Therapy 

Graphic Novels

Writing & Citation Styles

Suggested Homepage Boxes for Special Topics Guides

Welcome to Alkek Library. This guide is intended to introduce you to the library's resources and how to find the information you need. If you need any help with your research, please don't hesitate to contact me. [LIBRARIAN MAY EDIT AS NEEDED]

Librarian’s Profile 

The librarian who develops the guide should add their profile box with contact information.

Ask-a-Librarian Chat Widget

Ask-a-Librarian should be added below the librarian’s profile to facilitate contact for students when librarian is not online.

Quick Links

The Quick Links Box should be added to facilitate accessing library services. 

Related Guides 

Related Guides should include links to related LibGuides which may be other course guides or subject guides.

Tabs to Include on Special Topics Guides

Special Topics Guides may include similar tabs as the Subject Guides but will vary depending on if they are related to an event, workshop, etc.

Definition

General Guidelines

Other Guidelines

Definition

General Guidelines

Other Guidelines