NYU LibGuide Accessibility

• You can add databases from our Databases A-Z into your guide page as an asset.
• Database A-Z listings are owned by the subject selector. They manage the database description, contact them for edit requests.

How to Add a Database to Your Guide

• Within a page box, choose: Add / Reorder > Database
• Search for Database (by name, number, etc.)
• Select "Display beneath item title" as the Description Display. This is the default.

LibGuides Help Center Resources:

Must be logged into LibGuides account.

Include a Description and/or Custom Description

• If you encounter a database that doesn't have a description reach out to the subject selector managing that database.
• Use the custom description to highlight the most relevant aspects of the database for your users.

Use the "Display beneath item title" Description Display Option

It might make your page longer but improves the accessibility.

• Small icons and hover-over can be difficult to use, especially on mobile devices or smaller screens. This is true for all users.
• Requires all users to have to take an extra action to engage with potentially valuable information.
• Can create a trap for those who are navigating the page with keyboard only.

Using HTML in Database Descriptions

You can use basic HTML tags to style the text in a database descriptions. Styles include paragraphs <p>, bold <b>, italic <i> , ordered lists <ol><li>list item</li><li>list item</li></ol>, and unordered lists <ul><li>list item</li><li>list item</li></ul>. 

Contact lib-ux-group@nyu.edu if you have questions.

Language Tags

Please note, that currently there is no way to add language tags for databases that are described and/or titled in a language other than English. UX is working with Springshare to troubleshoot. For more information on adding language tags for other content, please refer to the "Non-English Language HTML Tags" section of this Guide.

Database descriptions help users decide if the resource may be useful to them and then choose to explore the resource further.

Types of Descriptions

There are three types of database descriptions.

• Description: pulled from the Database A-Z manager.
  • The description is managed by the subject selector for that database.
  • Contact them if you have a recommended change. 
  • You can find out who manages that database by going to Content > A-Z Database List and filtering by database name or ID number.
• Custom Description: overrides the "description" only for the database asset you create.
  • The custom description will appear wherever you reuse this particular asset.
  • If you've created other assets for the same database they won't be changed.
• More Info: creates a "More information" link that toggles open more content on the page. 
  • The text in the "More Info" section can only be added or edited by the subject selector for that database.
  • Contact them if you have a recommended change.
  • Note: this type of description causes extra navigation work for keyboard only users and is repetitive screen reader users. It will cause a "redundant link" warning for accessibility checkers.

A Database with Description and More Info

The Same Database with a Custom Description

This is the same database but the long description has been overridden by the custom description.

A Database without "More Info"

When Creating a New Database Asset in Your Guide

• Add / Reorder > Database 
• Search the name of the database and select
• The database owner is listed at the bottom of the screen. 

Note: they won't be listed if you're editing an existing database asset in your guide.

From the A-Z Database List

• Start from the Main Menu > Content > A-Z Database List

• Filtering by database name or ID number