Best Practices for UCL LibGuides

General instructions on how to create pages, boxes and assets, alongside accessibility and design tips. Please read this after the main Create or reuse content page, and before pages about creating specific types of content.

• Add a page 
• Where to add a box within a page
• Add a box - how to
• Add an asset
• Design
• Writing style
• Accessible headings (right column)
• Accessible text (right column)

Click on the + icon at the bottom of the navigation bar on the left.  In the pop-up window, select Create New Page, or Reuse Existing Page (if you want to add a page that already appears in another guide). Select whether the page is top level, or is a sub-page. Once you've created the page, don't forget to give it a friendly URL. 

Library skills and subject guides each have 3 columns.

Left column:

For the navigation menu only.. Please do not add any boxes to the left column. They show at the top of the page when viewed on a mobile device, above the title. The only exception is in Library Skills guides where the image for the relevant skills theme may be inserted without a title below the menu, by re-using the box from the page for the appropriate theme in the re-usable asset guide.

Central column: 

Main and text-heavy content should go in the central column, so that it is easier for users to read and doesn't take up as much vertical space in the guide. 

Right column:

Generally used for calendar feeds from LibCal, useful links, embedded videos and tips.

Click on the Add Box link in the relevant column. Add a new content box, or reuse an existing one. Check the reusable content guide to see if what you need already exists. 

To create a new box, give it a name and select the relevant box type.

• Standard: the majority of content you create will be in this type of box. Use for text, web or database links, to embed media, etc

• Tabbed: a standard box, divided into tabs, to allow related content to be condensed in one box. Use with caution due to accessibility issues

• Profile: profile and contact information for the guide creator/s. 

• Gallery: create rotating content, including images, events etc

Select where you'd like it to appear within the column, then click Save. If the box doesn't appear on the page, click your browser refresh button.

A box can contain one or more assets, including text, database links, an image or a video. Click on the Add/Reorder link and select the type of asset you want. Select Rich Text / HTML to add text. If you are copying and paste text from another source (e.g.Word), please convert to plain text first to remove any hidden code.To convert to plain text, paste the text into Notepad first, then paste from Notepad into LibGuides.

If you want to highlight a specific piece of text, you can use a special container to put a grey box around it. Here's an example of how it looks to the user:

To create a special container in Rich Text / HTML, select Special Container from the Styles drop down, then select Normal from the Format drop down just to the right of it. Start typing your text in the grey box that appears.

To add other types of assets to your guide (e.g. images, video, library resources, web links), please see the other pages in this section of the best practices guide.

• Avoid large blocks of text (be concise, use bulleted lists, allow for white space)
• Remember that students will use the search box. Try to include likely search terms in the text you use.
• Avoid screenshots of search boxes - these can create confusion.
• Keep pages short to reduce scrolling.

• Avoid jargon or, if necessary, include a definition of unfamiliar terms.
• Use plain language and a conversational, informal style.
• Use action verbs (e.g., “Start Here,” “Find Articles”) and active voice (e.g., "I" and "You").
• Use headings to break up text (by selecting from the format in the drop-down menu, not by increasing font size).
• Write like a journalist, not an academic! Start with the conclusion, headline, or most important point and then provide details.
• Use short sentences and avoid spelling everything out. 

More details on these points from SpringShare's Best Practice guide

Use short, clear and descriptive headings to help users find the information they seek more easily.

Avoid adding headings within boxes where possible. Instead, consider breaking your content down into a series of smaller boxes, which automatically have a heading at the top. 

• Use a simple layout without losing information or structure.
• Make text content readable and understandable.
• Take caution when copying and pasting content from any source. Many times hidden style code will also be copied along that could  introduce inaccessible content.
• Don't underline text - users identify underlined text with links.
• Bold & italicize sparingly - bold a word or phrase, not an entire sentence or paragraph.
• Use colour sparingly - ensure there is enough colour contrast between text and background.
• Use a special container to highlight key information.
• Avoid using all uppercase letters. Readers scan more quickly when they can see the letter shapes. Capitalise the first letter of the first word only for headings, as consistent with the template style.
• Align text left as it is more easily read than centered, justified, or right-aligned text.
• Write a glossary of abbreviations and words that may be ambiguous, unfamiliar, or used in a very specific way.
• Make URL links descriptive. Be sure that the link will be useful by itself, with no surrounding text. Do not use "click here," "more," "answer," or other repetitive words or phrases as links.