LibGuides Best Practices

What are assets?

Assets are certain types of content created in libguides that are saved in a repository to be used again and again in future guides.

Some advantages of this:

• Content does not need to be recreated each time
• If you modify the asset, it will universally change all the places the asset is used if it was mapped and not copied.
• If you delete a guide, it will still save the guide's assets

Examples of Content that is Saved as Assets:

• Links
• Databases
  Always use the Add Database option from the Add/Reorder Menu, type in first few letters of database title, and choose the desired database.  This will map to the correct link for that database. Customized descriptions can be exchanged for the original description.
• Widgets
• Books in the Catalog
• Documents

The default setting is mapped, if you want to copy content so it will be independent of changes to the original content, you must check the box copy.

Reuse content as much as possible.  Almost any content can be reused - guides, pages, boxes, links, etc.  Even guides from other libraries (just make sure to ask permission).

If an asset already exists - use it!