In LibGuides (and web design more generally), assets are "content objects," or files and media that can be reused by multiple people across multiple guides. These include databases, links, media/widgets (like images and embedded videos), books and other items from the UMD Libraries' catalog, text-based documents/files, and even full LibGuides boxes and pages. These items are stored separately from individual guides. You can create assets before you place them in your guides, or as you go.
Use the tabs in this box to learn how to add databases, catalog items, and links to your LibGuides.
To search and filter the list of existing UMD LibGuides assets, click Content (in the top menu). Then click Assets (catalog items, general links, widgets), A-Z Database List (database links and descriptions from the Database Finder), or Image Manager.
Add databases to your LibGuides through the Database function rather than the Link function. This ensures that your LibGuide will be automatically updated with any library-wide changes to database URLs or descriptions.
Follow these steps to link to a database in your LibGuide:
1. ` 
2. 
3. *
*You may write your own description for a database, or copy and paste the description and add information -- your custom description will replace the stock description.
Use the Book from the Catalog function to add a print book, eBook, DVD. or other UMD Discover item to your LibGuide. Here's how:
1) Click the Add / Reorder dropdown menu and select Book from the Catalog.
2) Select the Reuse Existing Book tab and begin typing the title that you're looking for. If the title has already been added, it should appear in the dropdown menu. Select the correct title and click Save.
3) If the item you need has not yet been added to SpringShare's asset list, you may add it yourself. Here's how:
Use the Link function in LibGuides to add links to external websites instead of copying/pasting links in the Rich Text/HTML editor. The Link function adds the links to the Assets library, which lets SpringShare's link checker alert us if a link breaks or doesn't work.
To add a link to your guide, choose "Link" under the "Add/Reorder" content dropdown menu.
If you are adding a brand new link, please create a link name (should be the name of the resource), and then fill in as much information as possible about the link -- the URL is required before saving. If this link requires UMD's proxy to access, make sure to toggle that selection on. After filling out the appropriate information, click the Save button.
You may reuse links you have added to LibGuides! To do so, click the "Reuse Existing Link" tab instead of "Create New Link." Links are searchable by the name you have assigned them.
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