Library Guides Life Cycle: Guide? Topic Page? Box?

Requests from SENs through MLS

• Library Network Leads follow the processes on this page to determine whether we need a new Library Guide, Topic Page or Box. 

Requests from outside your Network SEN area

• Library staff taking queries should complete the Decision Tree document.
• If the conclusion is that a guide/topic is required, the staff member forwards the Decision Tree document to the responsible Library Network Lead for the SEN area.
• For HE guides at single or proposed single locations, the Decision Tree is forwarded to the LNL of that location.

TAFE NSW Libraries now have a large catalogue of published Library Guides. All Library Guides require ongoing maintenance to ensure that they remain current and suitable for the needs of our TAFE NSW community. 

It is important that before new work is started: 

• Follow the relevant decision tree
• To gain approval as per the relevant proposed works document before Library Guide work is commenced
• You can also discuss the proposal with the Subject and Support Guide FIT team leader

Please follow the guidelines and approval process in the boxes below for new Library Guide work depending on if your guide is going to be a:

• Library Subject Guide
• Higher Education Guide
• Support Guides
• Internal Support Guides
• Promotion and Events

New Library Subject Guide work can only commence once approval has been granted. Please follow this process below:

1. Do not promise that a new guide or topic page will be created when engaging with SENS, TENS, Product Groups or any teaching sections. Instead say that the request will be evaluated against the current Library Subject Guide catalogue of guides.

2. If you receive a request for a Library Subject Guide that is outside of the SEN area for your network please complete the Decision Tree document and forward to the responsible Library Network Lead for further engagement.

3. The Network Lead confirms the Decision Tree and if appropriate moves on to the Scope document.

4. The Scope document is completed by the Library Network Lead by gathering relevant information from the engagement with the Product Group.

The Scope document:

• establishes the need for either a Library Subject Guide or the addition/modification of a Topic Page in an existing guide 
• is signed by the Library Network Lead showing their recommendation.

5. The completed document is sent on to the Subject and Support Guides FIT for final consideration via the FIT lead Donna Green. The FIT will then supply instructions on starting any guide work.

Any approved Higher Education course should have a corresponding published Higher Education Library Guide. However, new Higher Education library guides can only commence once approval has been granted.

The responsibility for the guide development belongs to:

• single location courses - the LNL of the location
• multi location courses - the LNL of the corresponding SEN course area
• some guides may be developed by other networks on a case-by-case basis.

Please follow the process below. The LNL may ask for the steps to be completed by a current or future editor for the guide.

1. Engage with the Course Coordinator to obtain relevant information and access to Academic Subject Guides for the course (request access to Higher Education Learning Bank for yourself and proposed CEs).

• A guide cannot be commenced without approved academic subject guides being available on the Learning Bank. Requests to source suitable resources for the course prior to course approval is not part of the library guide process, but may be completed separately by the relevant network team.

2. Complete and sign the HE Scope document to detail the work that will be required.

4. Send the completed Scope document to the Subject and Support Guides FIT for final consideration. The FIT will then supply instructions on starting any LibGuide work.

Support Guides cover the following areas:

• Library Services and services heavily supported by libraries.
• Library and TAFE NSW student use databases.

Guides are only created where they can add value. If existing documentation is sufficient, a guide is unlikely to be approved.

Examples include:

Process: Please discuss proposals with the FIT Leader, Donna Green

TAFE NSW Libraries develop internal training or support guides for the purpose of assisting TAFE NSW Library staff in the use of the LibGuides platform and other Springshare LibApps products. We are not licenced to create guides for other purposes.

Internal training / support guides include:

• Library Guides Life Cycle (Supporting LibGuides editors)
• Subject and Support Guides FIT Training (Supporting staff new to LibGuides)
• Standards and Guidelines (Supporting LibGuides editors)

The LibGuides platform cannot be used to create training or support pages for other TAFE NSW Libraries groups or teams, or support pages for TAFE NSW products or services that have no library input.

Instead groups or teams need to utilise the features of established Microsoft Teams sites or Library Wiki's for training purposes.

Only for approved promotions and events looked after by the Marketing and Promotions FIT.