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BI’s via LibGuides:
All your eggs in one basket
Susan Whitmer
Reference Specialist
University of North Texas
September 2013
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Objectives
• Demonstrate how subject guides enhance the instruction sessions
• Describe how guides employ economies of scale
• Present a user friendly guide that is navigable for new users
• Show complex and sophisticated content for advanced users
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Subject guides and class pages enhance the one-shot
instruction session
• Guides relate to assignment requirements
• Guides are interactive: citation assistance, links to tutorials and
workshops
• Instruction on demand meeting students at their location
• Online guides, prior to the current practice of guides, were static
versions of paper guides (Gonzalez & Westbrock, 2010)
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The one-shot instruction session
• For research sources, students want an online one-stop shop at time of
need (Wahl, Avery, and Henry, 2013)
Photo: Ball State University 6
Guides employ economies of scale by maintaining content
on one site instead of multiple locations
• Economies of scale: As the use of guides increases, the cost
decreases
• A variety of online help points are combined into one central page
• Costs: Software, training, creating, maintaining
• Increase number of guides + increase of users = cost benefit to
institution (Liu, 2012)
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LIS EOPe class page: A user-friendly instruction tool
Source: http://guides.library.unt.edu/liseop?hs=a 8
Statistics for the LIS EOPe LibGuide
• The LIS End of Program Examination is given in February, June, and September
• Highest LibGuide usage is during the months of the exam
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Other user-friendly elements of LIS EOPe class page
• LibGuides can be printed
• Three clicks from UNT homepage:
Class page
Pull-down menu
LIS End of Program Examination class page
• Easy to update, currency issues resolved
• Reusable boxes and pages
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Create sophisticated content for advanced users
• Embed media and widgets
• Add book covers and catalog records
• Upload podcasts
• Add images
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Guide weaknesses
• The number of clicks to find guides
• Guides require maintenance
• Internet connection
Source: Delgado and May, 2010.
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Conclusion
• Guides reinforce library instruction, the content is delivered to the user
• Easy to navigate for new users, sophisticated tools for experienced users
• Librarians can update content in one location
• Users have one source for their research needs
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References
Batman, C. (2013). LIS End of Program Examination Class Page [LibGuide]. UNT
Libraries, Denton, TX. Retrieved from http://guides.library.unt.edu/liseop?hs=a
Delgado, L. & May, K. (April, 2010). Linking through LibGuides: Collaborating with faculty
through an adaptable teaching and marketing tool. Paper presented at the meeting of
the Thirty-Eighth National LOEX Library Instruction Conference, Dearborn, MI.
Gonzalez, A. C., & Westbrock, T. (2010). Reaching Out with LibGuides: Establishing a
Working Set of Best Practices. Journal Of Library Administration, 50(5/6), 638-656.
doi:10.1080/01930826.2010.488941
Liu, L.G. (2012). The cost function and scale economies in academic research libraries.
College & Research Libraries, 63(5), 406-420. Retrieved from http://crl.acrl.org/
Wahl, D., Avery, B., & Henry, L. (2013). Studying distance students: Methods, findings,
actions. Journal of Library & Information Services, 7(1-2), 183-209.
doi:10.1080/1533290X.2012.705656
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Contact
Susan Whitmer, 940-565-3980, [email protected]
For more about the University of North Texas’ Libraries,
visit www.library.unt.edu
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