Best Practices and Accessibility

We highly recommend using the Template Guide when you're creating new Research Guides or even when you're revising existing ones. This guide provides ready-made structure with a mix of mapped and copied boxes. Any box you don't want to use can be deleted, and boxes can be rearranged. Content in copied boxes can be edited; content in mapped boxes will be automatically updated as needed.

In general, when identical material is called for in multiple guides at the box or page level, consider re-using entire boxes or pages. Also consider reusing content and links from your colleagues' guides. Look for timely, properly formatted and accessible content to reuse.

Users will skim and select content on web pages in an F-shaped pattern. Make your guide content easy to read with these tips:

• Write clearly and simply.
• Put the most important information at the top.
• Avoid long paragraphs of content. Use lists.
• Less is more! Aim for action content and avoid prose. 
• Break up long lists. Lists with more than 7 items appear long and may not get read.

For more information:

• Use a personal tone in writing.
• Focus on using an active voice rather than passive.
  • active voice: The library provides study spaces.
  • passive voice: Study Spaces are provided at the library.
• Use pronouns. The user is You. The library is We.
  • "We provide study spaces."
  • "We'll help you find the most relevant resources."
• Avoid jargon. Use words the user will use.
  • Bad: "The link resolver will direct you to intermediary pages with direct links to publisher and vendor-provided sites with pdf or html versions of articles."
  • Good: "Click 'Full Text Finder' to get full-text articles."

"LibGuides" refers only to the web-based software package by SpringShare. The consensus at STLCC Libraries is that the general term "guides" is a category that refers to librarian-created web pages that are aids for subject- or course-based research; in this category there are "research guides," "course guides," and "faculty guides." The rest of the site is composed simply of web pages.

It is important internally that we don't confuse LibGuides (the package) with the pages created with that package, and important in communicating with library patrons that "LibGuides" not be used at all. (Think of "LibGuides" as being akin to "Microsoft Word." You would never refer to a document created in MS Word this way: "Just read that MS Word I sent you.")

For consistency's sake, call them pages. SpringShare calls them pages and so do users.

These are STLCC guides that have been updated using the Template Guide and should meet accessibility standards. If you've updated your guide, we'd like to list it here, so let kabotsi@stlcc.edu know!

The STLCC Online Writing Style Guide is the basis for our LibGuides editorial guidelines.

The following sites contain resources for effective usablity and writing for the web.

The following are a small survey of University best-practice guides.