Guide Naming Conventions
Guide naming conventions:
The naming convention for course guides approved by the LibGuides working group is as follows:
Course Guide Name:
Course Abbreviation (ALL CAPS) [space] Course Number [space] DASH [space] Short Title [space] DASH[space] Instructor Name***
Ex: SOC 1111 – Womb to Tomb – Carpenter
***The instructor’s name may be excluded from the title for courses with multiple sections taught by different professors where the same LibGuide will be used for all sections.
Course Guide Customized URL:
- For a unique course number: Course number [ALL Caps, no spaces] Ex: PHIL1111
- For all other courses: Course number [ALL Caps, no spaces]-Instructor Name Ex: PHIL1111-Jelinek
- If further customization is required to avoid confusion: Include an abbreviated version of the course title. Course number [ALL Caps, no spaces]-InstructorName-ShortTitle Ex.: AMER1111-Kevra-Food Ex: AMER1111-Kevra-Dance
***The instructor’s name may be excluded from the title for courses with multiple sections taught by different professors where the same LibGuide will be used for all sections.
Subject Guides
Guide Name:
[Subject] [space] Resources
Ex.: Sociology Resources
Film Studies Resources
Customized URL:
Append to http://campusguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/[add customization here]
Subject Name (small caps, no spaces)
Document and Media/Widget Naming Conventions
Document naming conventions
Generally, document names should convey information to the reader as to the subject of the document, and when appropriate, the date (e.g. policies and procedures). This information will help patrons who use the guide better understand a document’s purpose, other guide owners who might want to use the file in their own guides, as well in future guide maintenance and clean up.
Examples of documents naming conventions:
Branch Libraries Accessibility Inventory (2017-07) - includes the date (YYYY-MM)
How to Read (and Understand) a Social Science Article - provides information about the content of the document
If possible, when creating a document asset, adding a description adds helpful information. For example
Further Guidance:
Instead of "In class assignment," consider "In Class Assignment: SOC 1020 SP20"
or
"In class assignment" with a description, e.g. Class assignment having students in SOC 1020, Spring Semester2020 distinguish among scholarly, popular, and trade publications"
Instead of "Account Creation Procedures," consider "Account Creation Procedures rev. YYYY_MM" and/or description of the document.
Generally speaking, the more information included about the document, the better!
Media/Widget naming conventions
All media/widgets assets should have descriptive names. Media/widget asset names should convey information as to what the widget does (e.g. BEAM Tutorial, Using Library Catalog to Find Library Materials, Library Orientation Sign Up). In addition, please include the type (Video or Widget) of the media/widget asset at the beginning of the name description. Provide as much information as possible in the name field.
Further Guidance:
Instead of “Tutorial” consider “Video: Catalog Searching Tutorial”
Instead of “calendar” consider “Widget: Library Orientation Calendar”
