CofC LibApps Best Practices: Guide Creation/Metadata

You can start a new guide by clicking the Create Guide button, which can be found on the Home page/Dashboard (Iook in the LibGuides shortcuts box) or at the top of the Guides list (select Content, then Guides). When you begin a new guide, you will be prompted to assign some metadata. Most of these fields can be changed later if needed.

Creating a guide from scratch

• Choose Layout or Reuse: Select Start fresh.
• From the drop-down menu, select 2022 PREFERRED TEMPLATE Tab Layout with Alert. This ensures your guide will display the alert messages that appear elsewhere on the library website/LibGuides.

Instructions for other metadata fields are in the boxes below.

Creating a guide by copying another guide

• Choose Layout or Reuse: Select Copy content/layout from existing guide.
• Select Local Guides to see other CofC guides. Your own guides will be listed first alphabetically, followed by all other guides listed alphabetically.
• Select the guide you wish to use as a model. Head's up: The guide owner will receive an email that you copied their guide, so be sure you obtain permission first! 
• Decide how you want to reuse assets from the original guide. By default, your guide will map to the original assets, so changes made to the original assets would be reflected on your guide. If you prefer to make copies of all assets, then check the box to Copy. Reused A-Z Database assets are always mapped to the original, even if you select Copy. Mapping to the original is preferred, so that links can more easily maintained. You still have the ability to add a custom description to the mapped assets, if needed.

Instructions for other metadata fields are in the boxes below.

Never use the word "guide" in a guide title.

Naming subject guides

[Subject] Research

Example: Accounting Research

Naming course guides

course number course title -- professor last name

Example: ENGL 110 Introduction to Academic Writing -- Bowers

Naming other kinds of guides

Use a name that clearly and concisely expresses the purpose of the guide. Use the Description field to provide additional information, if needed. If the guide corresponds to an event or something time-limited, indicate this date in the description (e.g. date of event, semester of project, etc.).

Adding a description will make your guide more findable in the Discovery Service (Primo indexes the guide name and the guide description).

Course guide descriptions

Use the description field to indicate the semester this guide is being used. If you reuse the guide in a later semester, remember to change the description!

Template: Research resources for [professor]'s [semester] [course name] course

Example: Research resources for Dr. McLean's Spring 2022 INTL 200 course

Subject guide descriptions

Template: Guidance and key resources for doing academic research in [Subject]

Example: Guidance and key resources for doing academic research in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Descriptions for other types of guides

Use the description field to express more about the purpose of other guides. If the guide is for a particular semester, event, or time period, the description is a good place to include this information.

General guidelines for friendly URLs

• Descriptive is more important than short. Don't abbreviate if the meaning will be lost.
• Use all lowercase letters.
• All guides and guide sub-pages should have a friendly URL assigned.

Friendly URLs for subject guides

• Use the lowercase subject name. Example: biology
• If "Studies" is part of the name, include it in the friendly URL. Do not add punctuation. Example: legalstudies
• An acronym is acceptable if the program name is long and the acronym is generally recognizable on campus. Example: lacs (Latin American and Caribbean Studies); claw (Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World)
• Many subjects have pre-existing guides/friendly URLs. When redoing a subject guide, use the older, existing name whenever possible. This results in fewer broken links than making a new friendly URL. Because of this, do not add research to the friendly URL, even though [Subject] Research is the guide name.

Friendly URLs for course guides

• Use the lowercase course abbreviation and instructor's last name. Example: fyse124_owens
• In some cases, a guide may apply to sections of a course taught by multiple faculty members. In such cases, leave off the faculty name and use only the course abbreviation. Example: intl200

Friendly URLs for other types of guides

• Friendly URLs should match the guide title as closely as possible. Use abbreviations only when the meaning remains clear. Examples: claw (Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World), campusinfo (Campus Information), continuity (Academic Continuity)

Guide Type

Select the Guide Type that best fits the purpose of your guide.

Subject Guides: Research guidance for CofC academic programs, including interdisciplinary programs

Course Guides: For a specific course or lecture.

How To Guides: Library information and services, tutorials and information about concepts related to metaliteracy, digital literacy, and research, including archival research.

Special Topics Guides: Guide is focused on a specific topic, more narrowly focused than Subject guides. Example: College Reads guides

Guide Group

Select the Guide Group that best fits the purpose of your guide. This allows us to view statistics for different groupings of guides.

Course Guides: For a specific course or lecture.

Library Information: Guides about using the library and library services.

How-To Guides: Tutorials and information about concepts related to metaliteracy, digital literacy, and research, including archival research.

Sandbox: For internal testing of guide layouts.

Staff Training: Access to this group is restricted to library workers who are signed into LibApps and have been granted access to this group. 

Subject Guides: Research guidance for CofC academic programs, including interdisciplinary programs.

Assign Subjects to your guide by selecting the edit button next to Subjects in the area at the top of your guide. All course guides and subject guides should have at least one subject assigned. You may apply more than one subject if appropriate.