Tool URL: http://www.wdt.edu/library/wdt-libguides/

Institution URL: http://www.wdt.edu/library/

For your review, the public launch site for our published, public LibGuides is http://www.wdt.edu/library/wdt-libguides/ and it is not password-protected. However, for purposes of illustrating the tool and linking to categories of academic leadership that our LibGuides represent, we have put together a one-page LibGuide which is password-protected. That address is http://libguides.wdt.edu/tool and the password is tool.

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Within academic institutions' course management systems, resources and content-sharing are limited, resulting in a degree of siloing among and between campus entities. The LibGuides CMS tool allows flexible access to information; includes tools such as analytics, surveys/reports, and discussion posts to aid in evaluation and communication, and requires no special programming or HTML knowledge.

• Create flexible, versatile content-sharing pathways for mission-driven initiatives that impact the WDT community
• Provide customized resources, information, and tools at the point of need
• Increases the visibility, versatility, and service of a campus library, librarian(s), and associated resources

WDT LibGuides CMS allows WDT's library, librarians, and resources to have high visibility and versatility both on- and off-campus. We are a commuter college, are growing our online programs, and have a sizable adjunct faculty, so it is vital that our online presence be robust, which includes ease of navigation and access to high quality, concentrated resources. Instead of expecting students to meet us where we are, our intention is to meet them where they are. Our LibGuides contain resources that start at admissions (preparing for Accuplacer exams) to completion (career resources, preparing for certification exams) and span everything in between (financial and information literacy, successful study skills, as well as customized course- and program-specific resources. Collaboration is key to the success of our LibGuides. Faculty and departmental staff work with us in mission-driven initiatives as well as students suggesting content to improve their skills in everything from style formatting to anatomy drill and practice.

LibGuides are created primarily by librarians around the world in educational institutions of all sizes and levels, serving not only their own institution's research needs, but also sharing much of their individual content and ideas with the global LibGuide community. When the basic LibGuides subscription is upgraded to LibGuides Content-Management System (CMS) such as WDT has, the versatility and flexibility of the tool increases exponentially. LibGuides CMS has access controls, allowing creating, editing, viewing, surveying, and posting, and commenting permissions/passwords to be employed as needed. Statistical reports within the tool and/or embedding Google Analytics provide evidence of use and user habits: daily/monthly guide traffic, search query spy, browser/mobile device breakdowns, and referrer information. This data collection and analysis helps us best leverage LibGuides within our institutional community.

When upgrading to LibGuides CMS, an institution has access to additional tools: surveys/forms module, access controls, discussion boards, increased file size limits, expanded statistics

• • Increased knowledge of library's resources/tools measured through use of LibGuides survey tool before/after presentations and at beginning/end of semester in gen ed. English courses
  • Increased use of library's recommended resources measured by LibGuides statistical reports and Google Analytics
  • Increased understanding of and broader participation in issue studies within WDT community measured by traffic/discussions within password-protected guides

Each of the three years in which WDT has subscribed to LibGuides CMS, usage has increased, which in turn elevates interest within the WDT community to expand content, diversify purpose, and promote collaboration through all levels of WDT. Thus, each year we in the library become more confident, leading to increased sophistication with the tool. In other words, success begets success.

Through both use statistics and formal/informal communications spanning the whole of the WDT community (students, instructors, leadership team, and professional/support staff), clearly LibGuides CMS has dramatically raised the library's visibility and contributions to the institutional mission.

• • The LibGuides that receive the most traffic are those that have been created in collaboration with instructors. When they buy in, they bring their students along.
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  • While faculty is familiar with the LibGuides concept, not all instructors are interested in collaboration, but the number who are increases each year!
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  • Creating a LibGuide does not guarantee use. There must be a perceived need for information and resources, which requires librarians to be ever vigilant for opportunities.
  • Use the statistical reports to drive improvements and expansion.
  • Start small. A quality LibGuide with depth is better than no presence and also better than a wide presence with little substance.
  • Take advantage of LibGuides Community guides for inspiration and ideas.
  • Contact LibGuides support people. Phenomenal.

Subscription to LibGuides CMS and professional librarians and/or information specialists (how many depends on size of institution and range of use) whose daily and/or weekly focus is on institutional, mission-driven collaborations to collect, disseminate, edit, survey, and evalute LibGuides' use.

COSTS

1,889.00 was the 2015-2016 subscription price for LibGuides CMS

Variable cost of position(s) to manage LibGuides

There are other Lib products and they all integrate with one another. As demand and unique requests/needs evolve, we may expand to other Lib products. Also, looking forward, as we continue to grow our LibGuides, we will need to increasingly weigh time and effort against results. We will need to be strategic and focused in where we put the most time and effort in LibGuides management.

http://springshare.com/libguides/cms.html

Sheila Hansen 
WDT Library Services Director 
Western Dakota Technical Institute 
800 Mickelson Drive 
Rapid City, South Dakota 57703 
Phone: 605-718-2904 
Fax: n/a 
sheila.hansen@wdt.edu

Sheila Hansen 
WDT Library Services Director 
Western Dakota Technical Institute 
800 Mickelson Drive 
Rapid City, South Dakota 57703 
Phone: 605-718-2904 
Fax: n/a 
sheila.hansen@wdt.edu