Libguides and Libanswers: the Middlesex University experience of using Web 2.0 Lesley Curtis-Brown, Senior Liaison Librarian for Criminology, Sociology, Social Policy and Housing Sheppard Library Middlesex University discussed the development of the Library's subject guides

1. Libguides and Libanswers: the
Middlesex University experience of
using Web 2.0
Lesley Curtis-Brown, Senior Liaison
Librarian, Criminology, Sociology and
Housing

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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)

7. Middlesex University Subject Guides:
The user experience

8. Campus Guides page

9. Criminology Subject Guide

10. RSS Feeds, Slideshare Slideshows and
Featured Books within a guide

11. The Author experience – My Admin
Page

12. Yellow command bar at top of screen
and Edit Options within boxes

13. Books from the Catalog box. Edit
mode and as the student sees it

14. Summary of How we Use the Guides
Usage Statistics for my Guides

15. 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

16. The User’s Experience

17. The Librarian’s Experience

18. Answering a Question – you can insert
images/attach Helpsheets and useful
links

19. Recording Enquiry Desk Transactions

20. Statistics

21. Types of Query

22. 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

23. 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

24. Useful Links
• Middlesex University Library Subject Guides
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/
• Springshare Company website
http://www.springshare.com/