NYU Libraries LibGuides Style Manual

Once you have inserted a box on your page, you're ready to add content. To do this, click the "Add/Reorder" drop-down menu found on the bottom left of the box. The menu has two main types of content to choose from:

• Rich Text / HTML -- Editor for text and images
• Assets -- Reusable content objects

Rich Text / HTML accommodates text and images. To add this kind of content:

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Rich Text / HTML."
  • When you choose this option, it opens a rich text editor for you to author content.
  • If you'd like to get into and edit the HTML code, you can click "Source" link on the text editor menu.

Springshare help:

• Add rich text /HTML content & images to a guide
• Image Manager: Upload & organize images

Rich Text/HTML Best Practices

• Use proper heading levels and logical order. Headings give structure to a page and make it easier for screen reader users to scan content. Learn more about level headings here.
• Use contextual links -- i.e. the display text for a link should let the user know what the link will take them. The text should be informative enough that a user would still know what the link was even if there were no context around it. Learn more about contextual links here.
• Images can bring visual and aesthetic interest to your guide. When using images, be sure to:
  • Insert alt text to describe your image to users with low or no vision.
  • Follow copyright best practice
    • Assume that all images you find on the web or elsewhere are copyrighted -- i.e. you are not allowed to use them unless you can get permission from the owner.
    • Use royalty-free or Creative Commons (CC) images, or ones you create yourself.

Springshare help: Add default alternate text to an image

 

Where to Find Royalty-Free Images

These sites are good sources for free royalty-free images. Note that some of the sites also have copyrighted images, so be sure you're using the free ones. Also, notice if the image indicates that you must provide attribution.

• Creative Commons Search - Allows you to search for CC-licensed material by media type
• College Art Association Image Sources - Links to free, restricted and unrestricted, image banks.
• Flickr Advanced Search - Choose “Only search within Creative Commons-Licensed Content.”
• Google Advanced Image Search - Use the “Usage Rights” field to limit by license type.
• Library of Congress: American Memory - A free “digital record of American history and creativity.” Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs Online Catalog - Photographs, prints, drawings, posters, and architectural drawings, and more.
• NGA Images - Public domain artworks from the collections of the National Gallery of Art.
• Noun Project - Free clip art images requiring creator credit.
• NYPL Digital Gallery - Illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs, and more, from the New York Public Library.
• Pexels
• Pixabay
• Unsplash
• US Government Photos & Images - Public domain images by topic.
• Wellcome Images - All images are made available under Creative Commons licenses.
• Wikimedia Commons - Browse or search for freely reusable images.
• Wikipedia Public Domain Images - List of public domain image sources on the web.

Assets are pieces of content or "content objects" that are reusable across multiple guides. Types of assets include:

• Database
• Link
• Media / Widget
• Book from the Catalog
• Document / File
• RSS Feed
• Guide List
• Poll
• Google Search

Database Asset

When you to include a link to a database, use this option.

1. From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Database."
2. In the dialog window, type the database name and select it.
3. You have the option to customize the database description. Otherwise, it will display the default description.

Springshare help: Add a database from your A-Z list to a guide

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Link Asset

The advantages of using a link asset (rather than embedding a link within a Rich Text / HTML box) are:

• If you update a link asset, the update will be reflected across all the guides, pages, and boxes where that link asset is present.
• The number of clicks on a link asset is captured in LibGuide statistics, so you are able to find out how often it's used.

To insert a link asset:

1. From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Link"
2. In the dialog window, choose whether you want to "Create New Link" or "Reuse Existing Link"

• If you choose "Create New Link"
  1. Give the link a name.
  2. Insert the URL.
  3. Use the default target window, or choose another option.
  4. Indicate whether to apply the ezproxy prefix.


• If you choose "Reuse Existing Link" option
  1. Search for the existing link asset by name and select it from the dropdown.
  2. Note that mapping to the original asset (rather than making a copy) is the default option.
  • Mapping is the better choice in most cases because any changes to the original asset will be reflected in your mapped asset, as well as any other guide that maps to that asset. This holds the advantage of keeping content consistent and universally up-to-date.
  • The other option is to copy the asset (by checking the "Copy" box), in which case any changes to the original asset will not be reflected in your copy.

Springshare help: Add a link asset to a guide

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Media / Widget Asset

Use this option if you'd like to embed a video, slideshow, or search widget into your guide.

Before adding embedded content to your guide please read Care with Embeds: Technical Implications for Security, Privacy, Accessibility, and Preservation (Google Doc).

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Media / Widget."
• In the dialog window, choose whether you want to "Create New Widget" or "Reuse Existing Widget."
  • If you choose "Create New Widget"
    1. Give it a name.
    2. Insert the embed code. (For instance, you can use the embed code from a video you own on NYU Stream, or from a Google slideshow you "published.")
    3. Use the default target window, or choose another option.
    4. Indicate whether to apply the ezproxy prefix.
  • If you choose "Reuse Existing Widget" option
    1. Search for the existing widget asset by name and select it from the dropdown.
    2. Note that mapping to the original asset (rather than making a copy) is the default option.
    • Mapping is the better choice in most cases because any changes to the original asset will be reflected in your mapped asset, as well as any other guide that maps to that asset. This holds the advantage of keeping content consistent and universally up-to-date.
    • The other option is to copy the asset (by checking the "Copy" box), in which case any changes to the original asset will not be reflected in your copy.

Springshare help: Add a media / widget asset to a guide

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Book from the Catalog

Use this option if you'd like to include a link to a book.

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Book from the Catalog."
• In the dialog window, choose whether you want to "Create New Book" or "Reuse Existing Book."
  • If you choose "Create New Book"
    1. Enter ISBN.
    2. Enter title, author/editor, publication date, and call number.
    3. Paste permalink into "URL" field. (Having copied the permalink from the catalog record.) 
  • If you choose "Reuse Existing Book" option
    1. Search for the existing book asset by name and select it from the dropdown.
    2. Note that mapping to the original asset (rather than making a copy) is the default option.
    • Mapping is the better choice in most cases because any changes to the original asset will be reflected in your mapped asset, as well as any other guide that maps to that asset. This holds the advantage of keeping content consistent and universally up-to-date.
    • The other option is to copy the asset (by checking the "Copy" box), in which case any changes to the original asset will not be reflected in your copy.

Springshare help: Add a book asset to your guide

Please note:

Check your links to make sure they are not directing to the old permalinks. 

They'd look like this: https://bobcat.library.nyu.edu/permalink/f/ci13eu/nyu_aleph005352099

They should look like this, instead: https://search.library.nyu.edu/permalink/01NYU_INST/1697t4d/alma990053520990107876 

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Document / File

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Document / File"
• In the dialog window, choose whether you want to "Create New Document" or "Reuse Existing Document"
  • If you choose "Create New Document"
    1. Give the document a name and description
    2. Select the file to upload. 
  • If you choose "Reuse Existing Document" option
    1. Search for the existing link asset by name and select it from the dropdown.
    2. Note that mapping to the original asset (rather than making a copy) is the default option.
    • Mapping is the better choice in most cases because any changes to the original asset will be reflected in your mapped asset, as well as any other guide that maps to that asset. This holds the advantage of keeping content consistent and universally up-to-date.
    • The other option is to copy the asset (by checking the "Copy" box), in which case any changes to the original asset will not be reflected in your copy.

Accessibility note about PDFs: PDFs can be very difficult for accessibility purposes and if they are not made accessibly in their native format (i.e., Word or Google Doc), then they should be used cautiously and judiciously.  If you need support with this, use the LibGuides Working Groups Contact Form (Qualtrics).

Springshare help: Add a document / file asset to your guide

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RSS Feed

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "RSS Feed"
• In the dialog window, choose whether you want to "Create New RSS" or "Reuse Existing RSS"
  • If you choose "Create New RSS"
    1. Provide a name
    2. Insert the RSS feed URL.
    3. Select the number of items to display
    4. Indicate whether to apply the ezproxy prefix to the URL 
  • If you choose "Reuse Existing RSS" option
    1. Search for the existing RSS asset by name and select it.
    2. Note that mapping to the original asset (rather than making a copy) is the default option.
    • Mapping is the better choice in most cases because any changes to the original asset will be reflected in your mapped asset, as well as any other guide that maps to that asset. This holds the advantage of keeping content consistent and universally up-to-date.
    • The other option is to copy the asset (by checking the "Copy" box), in which case any changes to the original asset will not be reflected in your copy.

Accessibility note about RSS feeds: They break often and can become "keyboard traps" for individuals that do not use a mouse to navigate through a webpage. They should be used cautiously and judiciously.  If you need support with this, use the LibGuides Working Groups Contact Form (Qualtrics).

Springshare help: Add an RSS feed asset to your guide

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Guide List

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Guide List"
• Choose an option from the "List Type" drop-down menu. (Types include: Manually Selected Guides, Guides in a Subject, Guides by User, and Guides by Group)
• Choose an option from the "Selection(s) drop-down menu.

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Poll

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Poll"
• In the dialog window, choose whether you want to "Create New Poll" or "Reuse Existing Poll"
  • If you choose "Create New Poll"
    1. In the "Poll Title" field, type your poll question or statement.
    2. Type in answer choices (up to 10).
    3. Select the number of items to display
    4. Indicate whether to apply the ezproxy prefix to the URL 
  • If you choose "Reuse Existing Poll" option
    1. Search for the existing poll asset by name and select it from the dropdown.
    2. Note that mapping to the original asset (rather than making a copy) is the default option.
    • Mapping is the better choice in most cases because any changes to the original asset will be reflected in your mapped asset, as well as any other guide that maps to that asset. This holds the advantage of keeping content consistent and universally up-to-date.
    • The other option is to copy the asset (by checking the "Copy" box), in which case any changes to the original asset will not be reflected in your copy.

Springshare help: Add an interactive poll asset to a guide

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Google Search

• From the "Add / Reorder" menu, select "Google Search"
• From the "Search Type" drop-down, choose either "Web," "Books," "Scholar," or "Patent."
• Enter a default search (optional).

Springshare help: Add a Google search asset to a guide

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