LibGuides Standards & Best Practices: Getting Started

Users generally 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. Avoid jargon. 
• Use friendly language (the user is "you", the library is "we").
• Put the most important information at the top of the page.
• Avoid long paragraphs of content. Use lists whenever possible.
• Break up long lists. Lists with more than 7 items appear long and may not get read.

Additional tips can be found at:

• Usability.gov - Writing for the Web
• Library Terms That Users Understand

Friendly URLs are easier for patrons to understand and remember.  https://lib.hoover.mcdaniel.edu/c.php?g=42793&p=270952 gives no hint as to the content on the page, whereas https://lib.hoover.mcdaniel.edu/citations does.

• Friendly URLs should be added to all pages (at a minimum, the top-level page on each guide should have a friendly URL).
• Always use lower-case letters.
• You can use numbers and dashes, but avoid underscores (underscores are hard to see when the link is underlined, sometimes being mistaken for spaces).
• Do not use spaces! Separate words with dashes.
• Limit friendly URLs to 1 - 3 words. Use complete words or common abbreviations only.
  
• Click on the pencil icon next to the URL (either the Guide URL or Page URL) to create a friendly URL.

Recommendations:

• Subject Research Guides: use the college-approved name for the subject, or the 3-letter subject designation.
  • biology
  • bio
• Course Guides: use the course ID.
  • edu550-01
  • fys1108
• Topic Guides: use a one or two word description of the topic.
  • ebooks
  • research-identity

These are the current colors used on the Hoover Library website: