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/