Know Your Users
When planning and writing guide content, imagine your audience and their information needs. People have short attention spans on the Internet. Contrary to our best intuitions, users prefer to scan webpages instead of "reading" them. (See the infamous F-shaped pattern).
We need to understand and take advantage of this pattern to write more effective content for our library patrons.
Style and Tone
Below are some recommendations to consider when writing guide content:
- Use the words your users use
Library jargon is necessary sometimes, but we should use plain language wherever possible. This makes things easier to find for our users.
- Chunk your content
Chunking makes your content easier to scan by breaking it into manageable sections. For us, this means using lots of boxes and headings!
- Front-load the important information
Use the journalism model of the “inverted pyramid.” Start with the content that is most important to your audience, and then provide additional details.
- Use pronouns
The user is “you.” The library is “we.” This creates cleaner sentence structure and more approachable, conversational content.
- Use active voice
“The library provides research guides for patrons” not “Patrons have access to research guides that are provided by the library.”
- Use short sentences and paragraphs
The ideal standard is no more than 20 words per sentence, five sentences per paragraph. Use dashes instead of semi-colons or, better yet, break the sentence into two. It is ok to start a sentence with “and,” “but,” or “or” if it makes things clear and brief.
- Use bullets and numbered lists
Don’t limit yourself to using this for long lists—one sentence and two bullets is easier to read than three sentences.
- Use clear headlines and subheads
Be short and specific. Use the "&" instead of "and" in titles.
- Cite consistently
Use the citation style that makes the most sense for your guide subject or topic, and be consistent -- don't use multiple styles in a single guide.
Reusing Guide Content
Reusing content can keep content consistent across guides and save you time. To reuse a page, box, or widget, you can map or copy it.
- Mapping content adds content to your guide that is linked to the original page, box, or widget that you would like to reuse.
As the original content is updated, the changes will be reflected automatically in the mapped version; however, you are not able to edit any content in the mapped version of the box.
- Copying content creates a standalone copy of the original content you would like to reuse.
Because it's not linked to the original page, box, or widget, you have the ability to edit the copied box as much as you need. Because the content is copied, any changes to the original instance will not be reflected in the copies you’ve made.
Learn how to copy or map a box, page, or widget.