LibGuides is a fully featured, easy to use, web 2.0 content management and publishing system. It combines the best features of social networks, wikis, and blogs into one package designed specifically for libraries. Check out these features of LibGuides:
"Post to LibGuides" Browser Button and LibX Integration
With the "Post to LibGuides" button you can add content to guides from anywhere on the web. Whenever you find a useful resource just click the "Post to LibGuides" button on your browser and - voilà - the link appears on your LibGuide. In addition, LibGuides can be integrated into the LibX Browser Toolbar.LibGuides Email Alerts
Users can receive email alerts every time new content is published (by tags/keywords, or by specific librarians). Email alerts enable patrons to stay on top of the LibGuides content while giving libraries another means of connecting with their customers.Templates, Collaboration, Reuse of Content
Use any existing guides (pick from 27,000+ guides) as templates when creating your content. Share content boxes and resources across your guides, and collaborate with other librarians on creating content... LibGuides has many content management/content sharing features built right in..Tagging and Categorizing by Subjects
LibGuides supports tagging, making it easier for patrons to find information in the system. The tag cloud on the homepage displays the popular tags and invites users to explore the content within. In addition, guides can also be associated with any number of Subject categories.Integration with Del.icio.us and Social Bookmarking
Librarians can easily embed their del.icio.us tag clouds into LibGuides. In addition, users can share their favorite LibGuides on del.icio.us, Facebook, Digg, etc. They they can also email LibGuide to a friend.RSS Feeds, Podcasts, and Videos on Your Guides
Spice up your guides with RSS feeds and podcasts, or by embedding videos and screencasts. You can embed any web 2.0 content in your guides. It makes your guides more useful, not to mention more attractive.Polls, Resource Ratings, Comments, User Submissions
LibGuides polls and ratings are a great way to collect feedback and engage patrons. Wish to see how users rate a certain database? Simply create a poll and get feedback in real-time. Or, enable rating of resources using the "star-rating" system. Users can also post comments and submit links/resources.Full Usage Statistics
LibGuides provides full usage statistics for your guides. Furthermore, you can track the usage of individual links and documents within your guides. You can even embed external statistic-gathering scripts, such as Google Analytics. Detailed statistics enable you to analyze the usage of your library's resources.Link Checker
When you add links to your guides the system automatically checks for broken links a few times per month and creates an actionable broken links report. This functionality enables you to effortlessly maintain the links inside your guides without having to check them manually.Librarian Profiles & Reference Chat Integration
Every librarian has a profile page which lists all their Guides, and a mini-profile on every individual Guide. Patrons can chat with librarians from any guide using any web-chat/IM application. This is a great way to connect with patrons and assist them right when they need your help - when doing library research.Facebook® Apps + LibGuides Widgets + Twitter
LibGuides is the first Facebook library application. Our Facebook apps make your LibGuides content available in Facebook. The LibGuides Widgets enable you to distribute library content into any webpage, blog, social network, or a courseware system. With LibGuides-Twitter integration, you can post guide information on Twitter - a great way to advertise your guides on Twitter and drive traffic to your site.Customizable Look & Feel
With flexible customization options (custom wording, color schemes, banners, headers/footers, etc.) you can fully customize the look & feel of your LibGuides system to match your institution's branding. Your patrons will think it's a standard part of your website - which is the way it should be!Community-Led Development
LibGuides is very much a community-driven development project. As any of our libraries will attest, we work very closely with clients and encourage feedback and ideas for new features. We released over 50 new features in the past 12 months, and we are constantly working on adding new features to the system. With LibGuides, you always get the latest and greatest web 2.0 features available.Sharing of Content in the Community
The LibGuides Community Site links together guides from 500 libraries world wide (and growing every week) with 8,500+ librarians sharing ideas, content, and best practices. For example, a business librarian can use the community site to see what business librarians at other libraries are creating, and get ideas for their guides. They can even use templates and content from existing business-related guides, and collaborate with other librarians on creating new content.Next -> Learn about the benefits
