Guide to using Medium
- Registering with Medium
- Writing a story/post in Medium
- Formatting a story/post in Medium
- Anchor links (optional)
- Submitting a story/post to Special Collections
- Tags
- Proof reading
- Checklist
- Medium structure
- Further assistance
- Additional resources
Registering with Medium
Registering with Medium is simple and, as long as you use the same browser, logging in does not require entering a username and password. Instructions from Medium on registration are detailed below, or else visit the Medium home page and click on ‘Get started’ in the top right-hand corner:
If you are a member of the University of Manchester, then please use your University email address when registering. Make sure you fill in some biographical information and upload a photograph for your profile.
Once registered, please email john.mccrory@manchester.ac.uk to be added to the University of Manchester’s Special Collections publication.
Writing a story/post in Medium
In Medium posts are termed ‘stories’, but for simplicity we will refer to them as ‘posts’. When writing your posts in Medium please take the following into account:
Tone, Readability and Structure:
- Similar to exhibition text: factual, lively and concise.
- Clear and transparent without jargon (remember readers might not have English as a first language!)
- Aim for no more than 800 words — Medium automatically classifies your posts into quick, medium and long reads.
- Keep paragraphs short — people will read on different devices and for different lengths of time
- Break your text into sections using small headers.
Title and Subtitle — Use a snappy title that encapsulates your story. *Make sure you’re happy with your title as it becomes the URL once the blog is saved*Use inverted commas rather than italics for names/titles as this is easier for the visually impaired to read.
You may find that the title does not update after you edit it. If this occurs, you can change the title using Medium’s menu:
Subheadings — use subheadings to add context to your post and tell the story in a ‘skimmable way’.
Images — integral to the story; they break up text and add interest! It is easiest to use images from Manchester Digital Collections (MDC) or Library Digital Collections (LUNA). Download a medium sized image, crop the image in Paint to remove any unsightly rulers or colour charts. Use a caption hyperlink for images that link to catalogue — this can be done direct from MDC using the URL, and in LUNA using the ‘SHARE’ option- see the image below. In LUNA, do not copy the URL from the browser’s address bar as this may not be permanent.
- Please check the details of the licence & where required credit the source. You are required to attribute images to the University of Manchester Library by giving the appropriate credit and providing a link to the license. [See the statement on the checklist]
- Include ALT Text descriptor for image. Use a succinct caption, different information to the main text/title around image, avoiding the words ‘In this image/graphic’. ALT text is applied through left clicking on image and using the ALT Text option.
Discussion points — these are really helpful to get readers thinking around the issue and they add some further context to your post.
Additional resources — these help to create an onward journey. Online resources are ideal here. Try to avoid long lists of printed sources
Formatting a story/post in Medium
Medium is intuitive and simple to use, but some of its features are not immediately obvious. This video will guide you through the creation and formatting of a story in Medium, including adding and editing text, adding and crediting images from Library Digital Collections (LUNA) and MDC, and adding links from other pages:
- To add a bulleted list, go to a new line, type in * [asterisk], and press Space.
- To add numbered list, go to a new line, type in 1. (numeral one and full stop), and press space.
- You can transform an image into a hyperlink by clicking on it- its pale green border should turn to a darker green- and pressing Ctrl and K.
- Pressing and holding the Ctrl and ? buttons together will bring up a help section at the foot of the page, demonstrating some basic features.
- Additional keyboard shortcuts are detailed in the image below:
Anchor Links
Anchor links function much as a table of contents at the top of a page, allowing internal links within a page. They can be useful for longer posts, making it easier for visitors to find the information they require. This video explains how anchor links works and how to add them to your stories:
Proof Reading
We ask those submitting posts/stories to find their own proof reader before submitting to the Special Collections publication. The Special Collections Medium team can help with technical support- such as indexes or determining where on the site something sits. This can be done by asking for help on the Medium teaching resources channel — or asking a friend!
Checklist before submission
1. Ensure you’ve an image at the top of the page.
2. Title and Subtitle
3. Introductory paragraph
4. Main text: short paragraphs with ample images to make and reinforce points.
5. Check each caption linked to MDC and Library Digital Collections (LUNA), and that every image has ALT Text.
6. Add ‘Discussion Points’ and ‘Additional Resources’.
7. Add this copyright statement to the foot of the page:
Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library. All images used on this page are licenced via CC-BY-NC-SA, for further information about each image, please follow the link in the description.
8. If your post/story is part of a larger resource, link back to its landing page.
9. Add a link to Reader Services if applicable:
If you are interested in using any material from Special Collections please get in contact with our Reading Room staff : uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk
10. If this is your first published post/story, check your ‘Distribution List’ setting.
12. Proof reading and editing — then add to the Special Collections publication.
13. Fill in the Excel spreadsheet for statistical purposes.
Submitting a story to Special Collections
This video describes how to add tags to your story, how to share a draft with other Medium users, and how to send your story to the Library’s Special Collections publication:
Distribution Setting
On publishing your first story, you may be asked if you want to ‘Allow curators to recommend my story to interested readers’. Do not agree to this. It will add the story to Medium’s metered paywall, limiting access to users without a premium Medium account.
Tags
Medium allows us to use tags to link related content and automatically populate pages with relevant stories/posts. For example, tagging a post with ‘Student Work’ ensures it will appear on the Student Posts feature page: Student Posts — Special Collections — Medium
You are welcome to create your own tags to link content. Tags in use at present include:
- Student posts
- Events
Medium Structure
Medium stories/posts are published in two areas:
- Your personal user profile: all your Medium posts/stories are available here.
- On submission and approval by our editors, they are published on our Special Collections publication.
Medium is not designed to act as a conventional website, and options for nesting content in a hierarchically is limited. We can group related material in two ways:
- Themed Resources — An introductory Medium page is created on a topic, containing links to related Medium posts/stories. Examples include Made in Manchester, Colonialism and Decolonisation, and Handling Special Collections.
- Feature Pages — Feature Pages are a collection of posts/stories selected manually or by tag. No supporting text can be added, and Feature Pages can only be created by Medium editors. Examples include Student Posts and the Men and Women who shaped Manchester.
Further Assistance
For any technical assistance, please email john.mccrory@manchester.ac.uk
Additional Resources
- Practical guidance on using Medium from TLS:
- SLS Style Guide for Medium:
Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library. All images used on this page are licenced via CC-BY-NC-SA, for further information about each image, please follow the link in the caption description.
