Why does my guide look strange?
This guide is a result of not copying from a blueprint and applying the correct template. Templates are mandatory for accessibility and usability.
If no content has been added, you can ask Kate to delete this guide and start again.
You can also retroactively apply the correct template. If you do not, this may be done for you. This does not result in a loss of content. It applies the U branding to the existing content.
Using the Guide Layout tool, select Guide Navigation Layout.
From the dropdown, select the correct template. Save.
The page will refresh with the correct template applied. You may now add or edit your content.
Why won't my tabs work?
The University of Minnesota Libraries do not support the use of tabs in our formatting. Tabs are defined as the bars across the top of the LibGuides page (example below).They hide content from screen readers, making your content inaccessible to users.
How do I get things to copy/paste over neatly?
Copy/paste from another web page or a Word or Google Doc can be challenging. We recommend following these steps:
- Copy your text from whatever web page or document you are using as reference material.
- Paste those items into the LibGuides text box.
- Before saving, select the "Remove Formatting" button in the text box. This will remove the fonts, spacing, etc. but preserve URLs attached to text in your copied and pasted text (see below for image).
If you have any additional questions or issues with this process, please reach out to Kate McManus.
Can my student employee/intern help with my LibGuides?
Short answer: Yes!
Email Kate McManus to set up an account for them as well as training. The training usually lasts about 30 minutes.
Other considerations:
- Both of you should review the documentation. Let us know if there are any questions.
- The internship/job/project likely has an end date! Kate needs to know this!
- We need to transfer the ownership of any guides. Students and interns cannot own guides long term, they need to be owned by permanent staff.
- We need to remove the temporary account
Is there a sandbox feature?
We have noticed that there are many guides that folks are using to reference when they make new guides. While we absolutely support the reuse of guides, we also want to streamline guides where we can.
We suggest having one "sandbox" guide that you can use to organize links, content, personal reusable boxes, alternative profile boxes, images, whatever else you want to use, and reuse, and reuse. It's also a great place to experiment with features.
(For example, Kate has an Admin Sandbox where she tests issues and features.) Please consider creating your own!
Springshare does not have officially designated "sandboxes" so if you are making significant edits to a guide, it might be best to unpublish the guide, or draft it elsewhere first before publishing it (maybe in your sandbox guide).
Can my guide be added as a recommended resource?
All subject guides and some topic and general guides are promoted in a catalog search as "recommended resources." With the help of our colleagues in C&CS, we can add more guides at the beginning of each semester (mid-January and late-August).
Have you made a guide that should be promoted? Please nominate it with this Google form! You can nominate at any time, Kate will track them and add them to next semester's list.