Left column boxes should contain boxes with things like:

• RSS feeds
• images (not too big)
• definition an important term
• a featured book or website

Think of left column boxes as equivalents to sidebars in magazine articles.

Fonts, colors, and type size are standardized. To give the pages a uniform look and feel, all of the guides should use the same color scheme and font size (10 pt.) for text. Please:

• Use the default font. It is OK to change font size for headings.
• Use the default colors for the fonts and the background color for boxes.
• Do not change the font family (i.e., don't use Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, etc.)

Consider including a box somewhere in your guide that links students to the library's Chat and email services, reference, and research consultations. There are several standard boxes you can choose from:

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Middle column boxes are the heart of any page, its focal point. This column should contain boxes with things like:

• Search boxes for a subject grouping of databases in Bearcat (such as the literature databases)
• Search boxes for the library catalog (don't label it CUNY+, as it is not so labeled on our own website)
• Instructions on how to do something or find something

Try to chunk your content so that it can fit into a box.

Keep the box size managable. If user has to scroll down just view the whole box, it's too big.

After adding several boxes for a page, step back and consider their placement. Ask yourself:

• Is the most important tool/process/item in the box at the top of the center column?
• Are important tools/processes/items identified and displayed in their own boxes?
• Are there boxes with definitions or instructions in the left column?
• Do the boxes need visuals or are there too many visuals on the page?
• Are there too many boxes? Does the student need to scroll through a long box? scroll through the page?

You can change the order of boxes on a page at any time

• Go to "Add/Edit Pages"
• Click on "Reorder boxes on a page"
• Drag and drop the boxes you want to move

List of databses and/or websites?

• Use "Simple Web Links" or "Links and Lists" boxes
• More info at LibGuides Help & Documentation
• Keep the list brief; don't overwhelm the user.

List of books?

• Use the "Books from the Catalog" box
• Watch this video for help
• Keep the list brief; don't overwhelm the user.

Try to avoid making long lists in boxes, such as:

• lists of key journals
• lists of books
• lists of websites
• lists of databases

A LibGuide is meant to be a starting point for research, not a be-all and end-all guide.

Right column boxes should be limited to the profile box, which should be on every page of any guide (not just on the "getting started" page.