GODORT Best Practices for LibGuides

Popular asset types in LibGuides include:

• Link
• Media / Widget
• Book from the Catalog
• Document / File
• RSS feeds

It is the policy of GODORT that assets will be reused whenever possible. This is especially important for links and documents/files. The the benefits of reusing assets include:

• When an asset is updated (i.e. a link change), ALL instances of reuse are updated. So, we only need update a link once in the asset list instead of trying to track down every instance of the link to fix them.
• Reports are available for assets. Reusing assets means that the full usage of any one asset can be seen from one report. 

It is also the policy of GODORT that links and documents/files be listed on their own and not embedded into HTML text. So: 

NOT fdlp.gov is the web site for the Federal Depository Library Program. 

The Link Asset will be included in statistical reports and LibGuide's built-in link checker, the fdlp.gov immediately above will not. 

Full instructions on adding links to LibGuides are available at:

For an illustrated example of this procedure, click on the link above. The basic procedure is: 

• While editing your guide, click on the  Add / Reorder button at the bottom of the box where you want add this.
• Select Link from the dropdown menu.
• In the Add Link window, click on the Reuse Existing Link tab.
• In the Search for Link field, start typing in the name of the link you want to add.
• Select the link you want to add from the list of results.
  • If you can't find a link to reuse, click on the "create new link" tab and create the new link.
• If you need to customize more details of the link, then select the Copy checkbox. This will create a standalone copy of the link that you own and can fully customize.
• Use the Position dropdown to select where in the box the new link will be inserted.
• Click the Save button.

By default, a mapping of the original link will be added to your guide. If you would rather create a copy of the original link, select the Copy checkbox. GODORT prefers that you choose to map the original link. When you map a link, any changes made to the original link will automatically be reflected on your guide. The drawback of mapping is that you cannot later edit the link in your guide except for your description. You may be able to edit the link in the Assets list (Content -> Assets). If you are unable to update an asset, send a note to the GODORT Technology Committee. 

The reuse of other assets is similar to the reuse of links. For assistance with a specific type of asset, visit:

It is the expectation of GODORT that all guide editors and authors will take the following actions to maintain the assets they own:

• At least once a year, check the link assets on your guides. You may do this directly from the guide(s) you edit or use Springshare's automated link checker.
  • The LibGuides Link Checker is found under the "Tools" menu. 
• At least once a year visit the assets library (Content -> Assets) and delete any assets you own that have zero guide mappings. 
  • In the gray "filter" box, click in the "owner" field and choose your name.
  • Click "filter" - This will show you all the assets in LibGuides that you own.
  • In the box marked "mapping count", type "0". You will now see any assets - if any - that you own but do not appear in any GODORT LibGuide.
  • Unless you have plans to use the asset in a LibGuide, delete it.

Related Resources: