LibGuides: Features

Fully featured, collaborative content management and knowledge sharing system


LibGuides is a fully featured, easy to use, web 2.0 content management and publishing system. It combines the best features of blogs, wikis, and social networks into one package designed specifically for libraries.

"Post to LibGuides" Browser Button

With the "Post to LibGuides" browser button you can add content to your Guides from anywhere on the web. Whenever you find a resource you wish to publish on LibGuides, just click the "Post to LibGuides" button on your browser and - voilà - the link appears on your Guide. Magic!

LibGuides Email Alerts

Users can receive email alerts every time their chosen content is published (by tags/keywords, or by specific librarians). Email alerts enable patrons to stay on top of the LibGuides content, while giving libraries another means of connecting with their customers.

Templates, Collaboration, Reuse of Content

Use any existing guides in the system as templates when creating new guides. Create content boxes and resources once and reuse them across your guides, collaborate with other librarians on creating guides... LibGuides has many important content-management features built right into the system.

Tagging and Categorizing by Subjects

LibGuides supports tagging of content, making it easier for patrons to find information in the system. The tag cloud on the homepage displays the list of most popular tags and invites users to explore the content within. In addition, you can define any number of Subject categories and associate guides with them.

Integration with Del.icio.us and Social Bookmarking

Librarians can easily embed their del.icio.us tag clouds into LibGuides. In addition, users can share their favorite LibGuides on del.icio.us, Facebook, Digg, etc. They they can also email LibGuides to a friend.

RSS Feeds, Podcasts, and Videos on Your Guides

Spice up your LibGuides by including RSS feeds and podcasts, or by embedding video clips and screencasts. It will make your content more useful, not to mention more attractive.

Polls, Resource Ratings, Comments, User Submissions

LibGuides polls and ratings are a great way to collect feedback online and engage patrons in the library content. Wish to see how users rate a database you licensed on a trial basis? Simply create a poll on your Guide and get feedback in real-time. Or enable visitors to rate the resources using the "star-rating" system. Users can also post comments on pages, and suggest links/resources.

Full Usage Statistics

LibGuides provides full usage statistics for Guides. Furthermore, you can track the usage of individual links and documents within your Guides, as well as the usage of LibGuides Widgets. You can even embed external statistic-gathering scripts, such as Google Analytics. Detailed usage statistics enable you to analyze your content and see what works and what doesn't.

Librarian Profiles & Reference Chat Integration

Every librarian in the system has a full profile page listing all of their Guides, and a mini-profile on every individual Guide. Patrons can chat with librarians directly from any Guide using many web-chat/IM applications. This is a great way to connect with patrons and assist them with their research right when they need your help - when doing library research.

Facebook® Apps + LibGuides Widgets

LibGuides is the first library application available directly inside facebook. We now have three Facebook applications. LibGuides Widgets enable you to distribute LibGuides content into any webpage, blog, social network, or a courseware system.

Customized Look & Feel

With flexible customization options such as custom wording, color schemes, banners, and headers/footers, you can customize the look & feel of your LibGuides system.

LibGuides Community

Our libraries are linked together in a LibGuides Community of 250+ libraries world wide (and growing every week) with 4,100+ librarians sharing ideas, content, and best practices. The community site is a great resource for sharing useful information, tips, and knowledge with your peers.

For example, a business librarian can search the community site to see what other business librarians in the LibGuides community are creating, discuss business-related research topics and get ideas for their own guides. They can even use templates and content from existing business-related guides, and collaborate with other librarians on creating new content.

 

  
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