Resource library items are a crucial part of program office websites providing context for assets and mission-related information. Each item has a summary for context, and includes body copy that lives on the page, attached assets (PDFs, excel files, word documents, etc.), and assigned taxonomy and tags that help users search and filter results.
When to Use
- When you have an asset that needs to be shared (a document, report, form, data set, etc.)
- When you have information that is related to a particular time period (regular updates of data, timely reports)
When to Avoid
- The content is evergreen — things about your office or program (this should be page content)
- The information is not standalone — it requires the context of other content types/chapters or other internal navigation
- The content is not created, funded, or "owned" by ACF
Guidance
- Resource summaries are required fields which display only ~140 characters max. The summary displays in the resource library search page and in Google searches, so be sure that it is both descriptive and concise to provide the appropriate context.
- If assets are updated (like a form being changed), you can attach the new version of the asset to the existing resource library item so the URL remains the same.
- Don’t link to assets in the body copy. Attach them through the assets list that appears under the body copy. The attachments allow us to track the connections between assets and resource library items where a manual link does not.
- Ensure all required fields and tags are selected so resources are grouped and filtered accurately.
Parts of the Resource Library Item
Example of a Resource Library Item
A resource library item has several parts:
- Title
- Publication Date
- Tags
- Body
- Assets
Editing Screen
- Title
- Office only appears if you have access to more than one office
- The Subtitle is useful for if the document has a number or other code
- Permalink
- Thumbnail Image appears in the body of the resource and also on search results
- Publish Date and Time can be set into the future to delay publication
- Taxonomy (Areas and Topics) are the various tags that help users filter your resource library. Global columns work across ACF, the others vary by program office
- Topics
- Areas
- Programs
- Global Types
- Global Topics*
- Tags
- Attach a Map? Lets you attach a map to the resource
- The Summary appears in search results, and often is pulled by search engines and social media
- The Body is the main content of your resource. If your resource item includes an asset, the body should describe what the asset is — don’t depend on the user to click through to the asset.
- Assets should be linked to in this field rather than included as links in the body. This helps track the use of assets. Learn more about using and managing assets.
- Additional Search Text can help narrow a search
- Display Resource as a single column removes the right rail of related resources
- Add resources to Related Resources if you want to specify which resources appear in the “Other Resources on this Topic” box. Otherwise, related resources will be pulled automatically
- The Original URL field was added when sites were being migrated. Should be used very rarely.
- Schedule your Content Review cycle.
- Last Significant Change can be specified if the resource has been significantly updated but you don’t wish to change the publish date
- Checkboxes for different options
- Updated flag puts a visual marker on the search results and body
- Do not display resource in search
- Hide the “Other Resources on this Topic” Box on this resource
- Do not display this resource in “Other Resources on this Topic” boxes
- This is a featured item