I’ve had the privilege of helping to create online resource lists (or resource guides, tool kits, LibGuides, “lists of links ” … I’m not aware of a standard name for the form) in several settings. While it’s easy to find guides on designing lists that focus on design and user experience best practices, I want to take a step back and reflect on my own experiences designing these guides. To anyone else reading, I urge you to think of this as a journal; not an advice article.
Definitions and Goals
Just what is a resource list? How is it different from other types of heavily hyperlinked web content such as encyclopedia articles, how-to-guides, or site directories? Resource lists as I understand them are primarily designed to present topically-organized sets of links to third-party resources (websites, videos, PDFs, etc.). The reasons underlying the creation of these sites can vary. Some lists are created to support specific academic or professional development curricula, others may be designed to provide users with additional access points to important collections licensed by a library or organization. Resource lists may also be created as reference documents for independent study, or as packages originally created as part of a separate project preserved in hopes that they might benefit later users.
Project Scope and User Needs
When I have worked on resource list projects, I feel that I have obtained the best results when the purpose behind the guide is well-understood. Hyperlinked syllabi (or lists created to support a syllabus) have a clear intended audience, and their purpose is self-explanatory. General-purpose topical guides can be harder to manage and are prone to mission creep. These projects can be improved by examining the needs of intended users and bringing a user experience (UX) mindset to the planning process. Imagine the goals a visitor to the resource list might have, through User Stories or another method. If you have the capacity, test your assumptions by soliciting user experience feedback once the list goes live.
The Hidden Value of Resource List Creation
The value of resource guides will naturally degrade over time. Courses end, URLs change, information becomes outdated. Thus, it makes sense to plan to either review/update or retire/abandon resource list projects after a certain amount of time. It can be discouraging to think about digital documents outliving their usefulness, but I have found that it is better to acknowledge the limits of a resource than to imply that a resource list or other reference work is a one-time effort. Further, I believe that there is value in the process of organizing a resource list, as well as the final document. Creating a public (or semi-public) resource list is one way to formalize the research process and can lead to the discovery of new materials that might have otherwise been outside of your consideration. Sometimes, the process of documentation can be just as valuable as the resulting document!
Emordnilap 