Reaching Out with LibGuides: Establishing a Working Set of Best Practices

ABSTRACT With an increasing number of distance education students at New Mexico State University, the library sought a way to strengthen the delivery of its resources and services to off-campus students. Specifically, and faced with the problem of outdated paper subject guides and infrequently updated online subject guides, the library acquired the LibGuides platform to more efficiently meet the research and information-gathering needs of the changing student dynamic. Combining user feedback, usage statistics, information from the field, and many lessons learned from the implementation and maintenance of the LibGuides platform, a working set of best practices is presented, addressing: purpose, organization, and plan; faculty involvement; audience awareness; and evaluation and assessment.

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