LibGuides Best Practices

Text

1. Use the same font throughout your guide.
2. Use emphasis - bolding, italicizing, and changing the color of text - sparingly. 
3. Don't use all caps for emphasis. This can cause difficulty for users of screen readers.
4. Don't use underlines for emphasis. Users will think an underline is a hyperlink.
5. To make text larger, use headings rather than increasing the font size.
6. Don't use text colors to emphasize text. Color won't be useful for all users, and is usually unavailable to screen reader users.

Headings

"Headings, lists, and other structural elements provide meaning and structure to web pages. They can also facilitate keyboard navigation within the page" (WebAIM: Principles of Accessible Design).

1. Use the Rich Text Headings to provide structure for your text and to make it easier for users to navigate your page.

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Your LibGuide Box titles use Heading 2, so when using Rich Text headings, start with Heading 3.

Example headings: 

• H3 (title inside the box)

  • H4 (list title if using)

  • H4 (next title if using)

Tables

1. Avoid using tables.
2. Use tables to display data that fits well into this format.
3. Tables organizing tabular data should use the appropriate headings.
4. Add captions and summaries to provide more information about the table for a screen reader.