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(Beta) AZ List Management: Manage a subject's best bets and assigned databases

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By assigning databases to subjects, you provide patrons with an intuitive, meaningful way of discovering relevant resources from your A-Z Database List.

  • On the public A-Z Database List page, patrons filter the list by subject to see all databases assigned to that category.
  • If a database is assigned as a best bet for that category, it will be highlighted at the top of the list. This helps patrons easily discover the top resources for a particular subject area.
  • Your individual subject pages will include a tab that lists all databases assigned to that subject.
  • If you have CMS and are using the LTI Automagic tool, users will be able to see a list of related databases to matched subject categories.

You can centrally manage the databases assigned to a subject. This works great to get a bird's-eye view of how a subject is being used, which is especially helpful if you need to make several changes to a subject's databases and best bets. You can alternatively add and remove subjects and best bets while customizing an individual database.

Add and remove databases from a subject

For the below instructions, you must already have databases added, ideally using the subject option under Admin > Metadata & URLs to get the full customization options. For convenience, the new AZ List Management also offers an option to quickly add a subject but with limited options.


  1. From the Content dropdown, select AZ List Management (Beta).
The AZ List Management Beta option in the Content menu
  1. Click on Subjects in the sidebar menu under A-Z Databases.
  2. Locate the desired subject, using the filters as needed (searching in the Name field works great). Click the View () icon to view the subject's assigned databases.
The sidebar menu showing Subjects and the eye icon for a subject.
  1. Click on the Add Database to Subject button.
the Add Database to Subject button
  1. Search for the database. After you enter 3 characters, relevant databases will appear in a dropdown. Click the database name to select it.
    • You can search for additional databases to select and add multiple databases at once.
  2. Click Add.
the Add Database to Subject modal

Remove a database from a subject

While viewing a subject's assigned databases, you can remove a database so it's no longer connected.

  1. To no longer associate a database with a subject, click its Delete (X) icon.
    • This does not delete the database asset itself, only its linkage to the subject.
    • It the database is a best bet, this will also be removed (a database must be assigned to a subject in order for it to be a best bet for that subject). The best bet order for other best bets will automatically update.
removing a database from a subject

Add or remove a database from best bets

On the public side, databases that are designated as best bets will appear at the top of the subject list, guiding patrons to surefire resources. This is helpful for novice users who don't know where to start, especially if you have a long list of databases associated with a subject.

  1. From the Content dropdown, select AZ List Management (Beta).
The AZ List Management Beta option in the Content menu
  1. Click on Subjects in the sidebar menu under A-Z Databases.
  2. Locate the desired subject, using the filters as needed (searching in the Name field works great). Click the View () icon to view the subject's assigned databases.
The sidebar menu showing Subjects and the eye icon for a subject.
  1. Locate the desired database using the filters as needed and click its Edit () icon.
Editing a database assigned to a subject
  1. Select the desired best bet status.
    • Yes adds the database to best bets.
    • No removes the database from best bets.
  2. Click Save.
the Edit Best Bet Status modal

Reorder best bets

You can reorder the best bets to dictate how they will appear to patrons on the public side. To make your custom order take effect, be sure you also update the Public AZ Page best bet setting to use the custom order.

  1. Click Reorder Best Bets.
    1. The current best bet custom order is indicated on the best bet label that appears for each currently assigned database. 01 is the top position.
the Reorder Best Bets button
  1. Click and drag a database's Reorder icon () to change its position in the list.
  2. Click Save.
the Reorder Best Bets modal

Set the best bet order method

Choose whether you want best bets to appear in alphabetical order or in the custom order that you define by reordering the best bets for each subject. This setting applies to all subjects.

  1. From the Content dropdown, select AZ List Management (Beta).
The AZ List Management Beta option in the Content menu
  1. Click on Settings in the sidebar menu under A-Z Databases.
  2. Click Public AZ Page.
  3. Click to expand the Best Bets Rankings by Subject panel.
  4. Select the desired best bets order.
    1. Alphabetically (A-Z) shows the best bets alphabetically.
    2. Custom shows the best bets in the order you set. If you haven't manually reordered the best bets for a subject, they will appear in the order in which the databases were assigned.
  5. Click the Save Changes button.
the Best Bets Ranking by Subject panel

Add subjects

  1. From the Content dropdown, select AZ List Management (Beta).
The AZ List Management Beta option in the Content menu
  1. Click on Subjects in the sidebar menu under A-Z Databases.
  2. Click on the Add Subject button.
The sidebar menu showing Subjects and the Add Subject button.
  1. Add a Name for the subject.
  2. From the Parent dropdown, select "Top Level Subject" if the new subject should be a "parent" or select an existing subject category if the new subject should be a subcategory (or child) of an existing subject.
    • Top-level categories that have at least one subcategory assigned to them cannot be set as a subcategory themselves. 
  3. Assign a friendly URL to your subject's homepage in the Friendly URL field.
    • This is optional but can make it easier to link to the subject homepage.
  4. Click Add.
the Add Subject modal