Springshare Support Blog

We’re pleased to announce the http://bestof.libguides.com website – a collection of what we think are the shiniest examples of LibGuides across all our client institutions. The best part is that all content on the Best Of site can be freely reused and shared (that’s one of the rules of being featured on the site – guide owners must be willing to let others reuse and copy their awesomeness). No need to reinvent the wheel, and this way everybody benefits from the collective wisdom of the tens of thousands of librarians who create content in LibGuides.

We are also working on having official prizes, automatic idea submissions, voting, etc. so the Best Of site will only get better – this is just the beginning of great things to come. We will be adding new content every time we find something that makes us go “Wow, this is a great guide”  (we always contact the guide owner first, to get their permission to feature their work). If you have suggestions for what type of content you want to see there, or if you want to submit your or your colleagues’ guides please let us know, we’re all ears - support@springshare.com

So, there you have it – in a spirit of Valentine’s Day (a few days early but since Valentine’s is on Sunday we had to compromise a bit): Announcing the Sites We Love on the Day For Love – LibGuides Best Of, http://bestof.libguides.com. Check the site often because we will be adding new content every couple of weeks. You should also follow us on twitter - http://twitter.com/springshare - as we will be tweeting the Best Of updates/additions as well.

As always, please send us your suggestions, ideas, kudos – support@springshare.com.

We have scheduled several online demos for Thursday and Friday of this week to introduce people to our exciting LibAnswers system.  What is LibAnswers you ask?  Well – LibAnswers is a web-based question-and-answer system and FAQ builder for libraries.  It enables patrons to search the knowledge base and ask questions from anywhere.  Our auto-suggest feature matches the patron’s question with an existing answer in the system, and they are automatically taken to the correct answer when a match is found.  LibAnswers also integrates with Twitter, LibGuides (of course!), and any chat widgets you may already be using at your library.

The demo sessions will be conducted via Voice Over IP, so you will need to have speakers to join the session.  We are not able to take questions during the presentations, so please send all questions to sales@springshare.com and indicate that you attended the webinar.

For more information about LibAnswers, please visit our website at http://springshare.com/libanswers.

For a complete schedule of the upcoming webinars, please visit the Events section of the Springshare Lounge, at http://springsharelounge.com/events/event/search?q=libanswers+demo.

We look forward to having you join us!

We emailed this update to all admins today, but for those users who didn’t get the email here’s a recap:

• The betas of LibAnswers (http://demo.libanswers.com) and CampusGuides (http://demo.campusguides.com) have arrived (and they look great)! We’d love for you to check them out and give us your feedback, suggestions, and comments. You can read more information about both of these cool new products at http://www.springshare.com/libanswers and http://www.springshare.com/campusguides. Send us a quick note if you’d like to check them out and we’ll create demo accounts for you on either/both systems.
• If you are going to the Summer ALA conference in Chicago, please stop by our booth #2757 to say hello. We’ll be showcasing LibGuides/LibAnswers/CampusGuides and it would be great to see you there and thank you in person for being on board!

As always, we love to hear from our clients so if you have any questions/ideas/kudos, please let us know.

Hope to see you in the Windy City!

One more reminder that Springshare will be attending the ACRL conference in Seattle this upcoming weekend.  Please visit us at Booth #639 and be sure to bring your questions and suggestions related to LibGuides!

More importantly, there are seven (!!) presentations discussing real-world examples of LibGuides and its impact on student research.  You can find a list of these presentations on the Springshare Lounge ACRL page or by viewing the ACRL conference program.

LibGuides / HowStuffWorks user webinar #8 – the last of the current series – is scheduled for this Thursday at 3pm Eastern.

The Information Amusement Park: Make Learning Fun:
Discovering information doesn’t have to be boring. Learn how to incorporate different types of marketing and browsing techniques, editorial calendars, scavenger hunts, polls, and more to encourage page views and return visitors.

-and-

Mix It Up: a Thematic Approach to Organizing Your Resources
Many information-seekers group their searches and queries in the form of topics, phrases and subject patterns. Learn how to organize your content – drawing from the educational technique of thematic units and pathfinders – in a way that will better engage your users’ curiosity.

For more information about attending this free webinar, please visit the events page at the Springshare Lounge.

LibGuides / HowStuffWorks user webinar #7 – “Taking it to the Next Level: Layered Content” – is scheduled for this Thursday at 3pm Eastern. 

You’ve pulled together your first set of subject guides using some of the core resources from your collection. Learn how to use “layered content” like image galleries, top 10 lists, quizzes and more to drive page views while creating a more holistic view of a topic.

For more information about attending this free webinar, please visit the events page at the Springshare Lounge.

Please join me on January 27th at 2pm Eastern for the first Open LibGuides Training Webinar!  This Training Session will focus on the basic steps of creating guides, adding content, and managing your LibGuides page via the new Command Bar.  Reservations are not required, although you are welcome to RSVP via the Springshare Lounge if you would like to let us know you will be attending.

To join the meeting:
http://springshare.acrobat.com/libguides-basic/

If you have never attended a Connect Pro meeting before, please test your connection before entering the meeting:
http://springshare.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

We look forward to seeing you there!

A quick scan of the conference program for the upcoming ACRL meeting in Seattle shows an impressive four sessions dedicated to LibGuides!

Reinventing Research Guides: LibGuides at Two Academic Libraries

Guides to Go: Using LibGuides to Deliver Information

From Static to Dynamic: Using LibGuides to Create Discipline-Specific Research Guides at West Virginia University Libraries

Do the Outcomes Justify the Buzz?: An Assessment of LibGuides at Cornell University and Princeton University

More information about these sessions can be found on the Springshare Lounge.  You can find the full conference schedule on the ACRL Conference homepage.

Thank you to all of our community members who are helping to spread the word about LibGuides!

LibGuides / HowStuffWorks user webinar #6 – “Serving a New Generation: Exploring Web 2.0 and Beyond” – is scheduled for this Thursday at 3pm Eastern.  For more information about attending this free webinar, please visit the events page at the Springshare Lounge.

Just a reminder that the next session in our free webinar series is scheduled for today at 3pm Eastern.

User Experience Webinar 5 – The Search Is On: Why Labels Matter
Does is really matter how you label that guide, module, link or article?  What about the tags you use? Learn how simple things like labels can make a difference in search to drive traffic and return visits.

Please visit the Springshare Lounge for more information about how to attend this free online webinar.