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Libguides and Libanswers: the Middlesex University experience of
using Web 2.0
Lesley Curtis-Brown, Senior Liaison Librarian, Criminology, Sociology and
Housing
Historical Context
• Subject WebPages began in early 2000. Experimental. No consistency in content or look
• Working group and implementation of templates. Created/used to add a corporate feel and some consistency of content
• Problems with the updating of guides/inflexible for our purposes.
Problems with the Guides as they were
• Problems using the template/software • Updating of guides problematic – technical
issues• Inflexible – structure led and prescribed content• Guides static and not up to date• Guides not interactive. Not able to utilise Web
2.0 features to engage users and push content to them
Working Group• Set up in March 2009 to look at the problem and
possible solutions• Group decided on criteria to evaluate possible
replacements to the current guides• Used/looked at a variety of software/platforms.
Some were freely available• Libguides was easy to use – little support or
training was required• Group used its findings and requested the
purchase of Libguides
Implementation
• Some in house training with mentors from the group and some documentation created
• Sharing and collaboration enabled by the software. Copying guides form and content meant not starting from scratch
• The Library Subject Guides went live for the beginning of the next academic year (September 2009)
Costs
• Libguides: $1,758 (£1,118.39) per year - including custom domain and Add-on modules)
• Campus guides - includes Libguides. The total is $2,958 (£1,881.80) per year
• Libanswers: $1,358 (£863.92) per year (including custom domain and analytics)
Middlesex University Subject Guides: The user experience
Campus Guides page
Criminology Subject Guide
RSS Feeds, Slideshare Slideshows and Featured Books within a guide
The Author experience – My Admin Page
Yellow command bar at top of screen and Edit Options within boxes
Books from the Catalog box. Edit mode and as the student sees it
Summary of How we Use the Guides
Usage Statistics for my Guides
Ask A Librarian• Middlesex University began using the Ask a Librarian
service in the summer 2010• Users type a question in a search box• The software will suggest matches from our FAQ
database. The user may choose to submit their question for an answer
• Staff login and answer the questions or refer them to each other. The user receives a response/answer by email.
• These questions and answers may be added to the FAQ database or answered as private responses.
• Library Staff may also add FAQs to the database
The User’s Experience
The Librarian’s Experience
Answering a Question – you can insert images/attach Helpsheets and useful links
Recording Enquiry Desk Transactions
Statistics
Types of Query
Libguides
• Project a success• Springshare have answered queries about the
software and added functionality where possible as a result of customer feedback
• Little down time• Users feedback – focus group were positive and
gave constructive feedback• Management of the guides to ensure they are
more consistent could be necessary
Ask a Librarian
• Usage statistics may be generated and displayed graphically and exported to Excel
• Also used to generate statistics of Enquiry desk use
• Issue of management of the Guides/Ask a Librarian is important to ensure the use of them develops
• Further discussion required on how we record our services to ensure reliability of statistics
Useful Links
• Middlesex University Library Subject Guideshttp://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/
• Springshare Company websitehttp://www.springshare.com/