In 2025, the LibreOffice documentation community has continued to actively enhance user guides, translations, the online help application, ScriptForge resources and the LibreOffice Bookshelf. Discover the major advancements made this year and how these documentation updates help users find clearer information about LibreOffice features.
LibreOffice Guides: Updates and Translations in 2025
Throughout 2024, the team responsible for the documentation guides has worked diligently to align the user guides with the releases of the main versions of LibreOffice. By the end of 2024, all guides corresponding to version 25.2 were updated to match the latest stable release of LibreOffice 25.8. This ensures that the documentation remains consistently up-to-date, facilitating users' quick understanding of new features.
The LibreOffice guides are practical resources for users who want to understand the main modules and their tools. They help readers follow documented procedures, check feature descriptions and learn how to use LibreOffice in everyday work. Keeping these guides aligned with the main releases makes it easier to consult instructions that correspond to the version being used.
These improvements and updates to the guides were coordinated by:
- Jean Weber for the Writer guide and the Getting Started Guide.
- Olivier Hallot for the Calc guide.
- Peter Schofield for the Impress and Draw guides.
Many volunteers also contributed to writing, editing, and improving the guides, making these resources more useful and accessible for everyone. Special mention goes to Jean Weber, thanks to whom the printed guides are available for purchase through Lulu Inc.
The work on the Writer, Calc, Impress and Draw guides supports several common needs:
- Writer documentation helps users understand word processing tasks and document preparation.
- Calc documentation assists with spreadsheet usage and related features.
- Impress documentation supports the creation and editing of presentations.
- Draw documentation helps users work with drawing and diagram-related tools.
- The Getting Started Guide gives new users a broader entry point into LibreOffice.
Enhancements to LibreOffice Help
The documentation community has also continued significant work to improve the built-in help pages. In 2025, 650 fixes were applied to the help pages, enhancing their accuracy, clarity, and overall usefulness. These corrections, which include typographical errors and editorial improvements, help provide users with a clear and reliable reference for available features.
LibreOffice Help is useful when users need direct explanations while working with the software. Clearer help pages can make it easier to identify a command, understand a setting or confirm how a feature is expected to behave. Corrections to wording, structure and terminology also improve the reading experience for both new and experienced users.
The localization and translation team was very responsive, quickly reporting any errors or ambiguities in the original English version during the translation process, thus contributing to an overall better quality of the help resources.
Translation work is especially important for documentation because it helps users access instructions in their own language. When translators report unclear wording or ambiguous explanations, the original English text can also be improved. This benefits the whole documentation set, including future localized versions.
ScriptForge Libraries and Wiki Updates
In parallel with traditional guides, the documentation for the ScriptForge macro library has been significantly enhanced through contributions from Jean Pierre Ledure, Alain Romedenne, and Rafael Lima. The constant synchronization between the development of new features and their detailed documentation has been exemplary.
ScriptForge documentation is useful for users who work with macros and need clear descriptions of available libraries. When documentation follows feature development closely, users can more easily find updated explanations and apply the documented functions in their own LibreOffice workflows.
This professional approach ensures better understanding and quicker adoption of features by users, thus reducing the need for costly technical support in businesses. The ScriptForge project has thus become a benchmark in terms of documentary quality associated with advanced technical developments.
LibreOffice Bookshelf: Documentation at Your Fingertips
In 2025, the community also updated the LibreOffice Bookshelf, a complementary platform offering another download page for LibreOffice guides, distinct from the usual official page. This Bookshelf can be installed locally in organizations, libraries, schools, or colleges, thereby enabling:
- Quick and direct access to guides in controlled environments.
- Immediate consultation of guides online or offline.
- Conversion of chapters in Open Document Format to static HTML pages, making them easier to view on any device (computers, tablets, smartphones).
This initiative brings users closer to the LibreOffice guides, allowing easy access at any time and from any location.
The LibreOffice Bookshelf is particularly useful in places where many people need the same documentation resources. A local installation can simplify access to guides in environments such as organizations, libraries, schools or colleges. The possibility to consult content online or offline also helps users continue reading the documentation when network access is limited or controlled.
Summary of LibreOffice Documentation Updates in 2025
| Area | Update mentioned | User benefit |
|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice guides | Guides aligned with the main LibreOffice releases and updated from version 25.2 to match LibreOffice 25.8. | Users can consult documentation that better reflects the features of the version described. |
| LibreOffice Help | 650 fixes applied to help pages in 2025. | Help content becomes clearer, more accurate and easier to use. |
| Translations | Localization teams reported errors or ambiguities during translation. | Both English and translated help resources benefit from clearer wording. |
| ScriptForge | Documentation enhanced with contributions from Jean Pierre Ledure, Alain Romedenne, and Rafael Lima. | Users working with macros can access more detailed documentation. |
| LibreOffice Bookshelf | Updated platform for accessing and downloading LibreOffice guides. | Organizations, libraries, schools and colleges can provide local access to guides. |
Support LibreOffice: How to Contribute in 2025?
Do you appreciate the advancements made by the LibreOffice documentation community? You can actively participate in the project by financially supporting the foundation or by joining the volunteers. Your support is invaluable for continuing to improve LibreOffice and its documentation resources.
To contribute or make a donation, please visit the official LibreOffice site. Thank you for your support!
FAQ about LibreOffice Documentation in 2025
What changed in LibreOffice documentation in 2025?
In 2025, the LibreOffice documentation community continued improving user guides, the built-in help pages, ScriptForge documentation, translations and the LibreOffice Bookshelf.
How many LibreOffice Help fixes were applied in 2025?
In 2025, 650 fixes were applied to the LibreOffice Help pages. These fixes included typographical corrections and editorial improvements.
Which LibreOffice guides were coordinated by named contributors?
Jean Weber coordinated the Writer guide and the Getting Started Guide, Olivier Hallot coordinated the Calc guide, and Peter Schofield coordinated the Impress and Draw guides.
What is the LibreOffice Bookshelf used for?
The LibreOffice Bookshelf provides another download page for LibreOffice guides. It can also be installed locally in organizations, libraries, schools or colleges to provide access to the documentation online or offline.
Who contributed to the ScriptForge documentation updates?
The ScriptForge macro library documentation was enhanced through contributions from Jean Pierre Ledure, Alain Romedenne, and Rafael Lima.
Conclusion
LibreOffice documentation in 2025 continues to focus on clearer guides, improved help pages, better translations, enhanced ScriptForge resources and easier access through the LibreOffice Bookshelf. These updates help users find practical information about LibreOffice features and make the documentation more accessible in everyday use.
