Creating a Master Guide

Over the past week or so I have actually started creating the guides!

My main objective is to create the guides in such a way that they are easy to maintain (and relatively) quick to create.

I have started by working on a 'Master Engineering LibGuide' (http://unimelb.libguides.com/eng_master). I originally though that I would create a template guide that would determine the structure and main boxes to include in all the guides, and I started creating this template last semester. But I have since realised that a template might be a bit restrictive and so converted the template into a master guide, that has content that I will reuse parts of in many of the guides. For example, I started by creating a big list of links to engineering databases, and have started reusing individual links in other guides. This is really useful because I can change the link or description in the master guide and it changes in all the guides I have reused it in. The master guide is still a work in progress and I plan to add to it as I work on the individual guides.

I have also created a big list of links in the master guide to engineering LibGuides created by other universities that I found via Google and the LibGuides community website. I was surprised by how many there are, and I had to stop linking to all of the guides I found, as my lists were becoming too lengthy, but made sure that I linked to all the Australian engineering LibGuides I could find (as I think these are probably the most relevant). I plan to refer to these guides to see what they have included in their guides, the resources they have highlighted and the features they have included.

In addition to the master guide, I have created the following guides (which are in various stages of completion):

• Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering,
• Civil & Environmental Engineering,
• Electrical & Electronic Engineering,
• Mechanical Engineering,
• Biomedical Engineering,
• Geomatics.

 I already have a complete LibGuide on Computer Science & Software Engineering that I completed last semester, but I plan to update this once I have finished the other guides.

Today I have been concentrating on the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering guide. I have found the chapters on Chemical Engineering in:

• ‘Information sources in engineering’ edited by Roderick A. MacLeod and Jim Corlett., http://cat.lib.unimelb.edu.au/record=b2946649~S30 and,
• 'Using the engineering literature / edited by Bonnie A. Osif' http://cat.lib.rmit.edu.au/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=580271

very useful. Although some of the resources mentioned are out-of-date (especially the web links), many are still relevant and have updated versions or editions.

It has also been valuable working on this guide as I have found that I couldn't access a few online resources from home:

• Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (via Wiley online library), and,
• 'CRC handbook of chemistry and physics' http://cat.lib.unimelb.edu.au/record=b3127310~S30

I am still not sure exactly what tabs (or pages) I will include in the guides, and plan first to figure out exactly which resources, such as databases or e-books, I will link to from each guide. I hope to finish much of this during this week... and will continue Tweeting about the experience!