Best Practices for UCL LibGuides

• Add a web link
• Think about screen readers
• Web links accessibility (right column)

You can add one or more links to web pages as follows. Please see the guidance on web links accessibility in conjunction with the instructions below:

1. Create a box, or go to an existing box, on the relevant page of your guide.
2. Click on Add/Reorder for the box to get a drop down list.
3. Select Link from the list.
4. Click on the Reuse Existing Link tab and search for an existing link to the URL you wish to link to. If there are multiple links to the same URL, select one where the location is 'Assets List'. 
   Note: When you re-use a link, it will inherit the link description. You can edit the link and choose whether or not to display the description. If you wish to edit the description, when you reuse the link you should select the 'Copy' checkbox so you can edit the description.
5. If there is no existing link, return to the Create New Link tab. Enter the link name and the URL, and an optional description.
6. Click Save on the resulting screen

People using screen readers 'scan' pages similarly to sighted users. That means that it's frustrating if a lot of links begin with the same word or phrase.

For example

This might conflict with advice (for sighted readers) about using questions as meaningful headings for content. A possible compromise is to begin a sentence with a keyword followed by a question, e.g.

• Make hyperlinks descriptive text, not just 'click here'.
• Avoid using the word 'click' because not everyone uses a mouse.
• Use multiple words for links, so there's a larger area to click.
• Open links within the same window where possible, so that the back button in browser works.
• Make sure that only secure URLs are linked to (begin with https) - links beginning http will not work in LibGuides. 
• If possible, use the 'add link' option when adding content to a box. This might not be appropriate if doing so would disrupt the flow of the text.