In order to better align their online research support presence with evolving in-person and online patron needs, Research Services and Education at the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center transformed their 150+ legacy LibGuides into just over a dozen targeted tools for finding, requesting, and accessing special collections materials. Once used as a comprehensive means to group special collections catalog records and archives finding aids by subject areas, SCRC’s legacy guides had grown unwieldy to maintain by staff and overwhelming for researcher use. Taking a “consolidate, curate, teach” approach to redesign efforts, Research Services and Education abandoned these exhaustive collection lists and granular subject areas in favor of streamlined tutorials aimed at teaching users how to navigate the various format types, digital collections, and research support services available in SCRC. With additional goals of easing administration behind-the-scenes and creating a consistent visual identity and user experience throughout, SCRC’s new LibGuides provide a case study in producing easy-to-manage, user-focused online research services tools that directly address the needs of internal and external special collections users, that teach rather than simply show.
