Springy Cleaning for your LibAnswers FAQs
Evaluate Your Current Setup
There are several tools built into LibAnswers that will help you evaluate your FAQs and make decisions about how to proceed with a cleanup effort.
- The very first thing to do is simply sort your FAQ list by the number of views or date created to start your review process. This will help you get a sense of what needs the most attention.
- Query Analyzer - run a report to see what your users are searching for. This can help you create new, more relevant FAQs that speak to the actual needs of your patrons. You can even create new FAQs directly from the Query Analyzer page.
Make a Refresh Plan
Every library is different, so we can't tell you exactly how to make a plan of action that will work for your staff, but we can offer a few tips that have been helpful for others!
- Break your FAQs up into groups. Admin-level users can create as many groups as necessary. We'd suggest grouping by library branch, subject area, etc.
- Decide who will edit what. Maybe everyone updates the FAQs they have created or department heads are responsible for updating all the FAQs for the corresponding groups. Spreading the work out will make the task more manageable!
- Use notes. If you are triaging the FAQ update process, the internal note function will be helpful. Staff can leave an internal note, and even email that note to another LibAnswers user.
- Schedule FAQ changes for a future date and time. This is a great feature if your library's hours change throughout the year or if you know a specific policy will be implemented on a future date.
LibApps: Organize Your Image Manager
If you've been using LibApps for a long time, your Image Manager may be getting a bit... unwieldy. Much like a collection of books or other materials, the Image Manager benefits from occasional weeding and reorganizing. Here are some tricks we've developed over the years!
- Come up with a naming system to make your images so they are easier to find - we don't need to tell you that metadata makes the world a better place. Sticking with a logical naming system will allow you to easily find what you're looking for using the "search" function.
- Create folders for your personal library. Breaking your library up into folders by subject or project will make it much easier to find images later.
- Create folders for your shared library. Admin-level users can add images to the shared library to make them available across your entire organization. This is a great spot to put logos, high-resolution photographs of your library spaces, and other images that will be useful for many staff members!
- Add alt text! You can add alternative text to your images right in the Image Manager. This will save you time later when building LibGuides!
LibCal: Quick Homepage Customizations
Modifying the look and feel of your LibCal Homepage is quick and easy with a little bit of CSS know-how! Admin-level users can make simple, yet impactful changes under Admin > Look & Feel > Code Customization. Pasting code into this section will automatically add it to the <HEAD> section of your page, so you don't need to use that tag when supplying the code.
Change the Font
Changing the size and font of the text on your LibCal Homepage is a great example of a speedy way to give your site a quick refresh. Here's an example of CSS you can use to change the font style and size for your system:
/*Changes font for the system */
.s-lc-box-content .ui-widget, body {
font-family: 'Montserrat', "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
}
Tip: Check to see if your institution has a style guide or preferred font family. Matching fonts will make your LibCal Homepage recognizable as an extension of your library's homepage.
Change the Container Size
You may also want to change the container size for your LibCal Homepage. This will reduce the white space on either side of the calendar, creating a fuller page and an easier viewing experience. Here's an example of CSS you can use to change the container size:
/*sets width of page to percentage of browser*/
.container {width: 80%;}
Want to learn even more? Watch this recorded training session that shows these tips in action, as well as instructions for adding top spanning image buttons, customizing the Hours & Events page, and more!
P.S. Don't forget! CSS should always be inside <style> tags!