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Creating More Usable Library Guides

This guide describes the recommendations of research conducted on how library guides are used, and is aimed at providing guidance on how you can go about creating and maintaining more usable guides.

Library Contact

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Karen A. Reiman-Sendi
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Contact:
The University of Michigan
2178 Shapiro Library
919 S. University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1185
Website

Overview of this guide

Hi everyone!  My name is Matt Barry, and I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Information!  I've created this guide as an easy-to-read, accessible way of learning about all of the interesting research that exists on creating library guides that are more useful, usable, and likable!  Unlike most best practices resources, this guide doesn't just focus on specific things you can do to make your guides better, but also discusses why those things are important.

If you have:

  • Questions
  • Comments
  • A burning desire to talk

Please feel free to contact me!  My email address is in the Library Contact box just below the menu!

Why making better guides matters

Creating a well-designed, usable guide is a great use of your time as a librarian because:

  • Guides serve as a means of getting users to interact with the library.
  • A good guide helps educate people and spread information.
  • More focused guides are often faster and easier to maintain.
  • Guides serve as a reflection of the skill of librarians and the usefulness of libraries.
  • Guides are a great resource for reference librarians.
  • A guide that no one uses isn't worth spending time creating.

Getting help with guides

If you're working on building a library guide at University of Michigan, and you:

  • Aren't sure where to find policy or best practices resources for making guides
  • Want assistance to make sure your guide is usable and accessible
  • Need any other help or consultation regarding LibGuides

You can get in touch with a web content coordinator at libguides@umich.edu.