We’re Not in Kansas Anymore! Delivery of Library Resources and Services Through Learning Management Systems

Abstract

Library-licensed electronic resources are typically made available via the library website. Students are often required to read journal articles, faculty are interested in journal tables-of-contents or in receiving current search results in a field. The campus learning management system (also called the course management system) provides a mechanism for delivering licensed and unlicensed electronic resources to faculty and students in a familiar environment.

The Claremont Colleges have implemented Sakai, an open-source learning management system. The implementation team, lead by a librarian, provides instruction and documentation to faculty on how to display electronic reserve lists within Sakai using RSS and how to select and display images from the Claremont Colleges Digital Library. Planned capabilities include integration with the RefWorks reference management website and other academic tools.

This presentation will also describe and possibly demonstrate the following tools:

The University of Michigan and University of Indiana, Bloomington are working on a Sakai tool called "Sakaibrary" that allows users to create citations lists from within Sakai by utilizing federated search and OpenURL capabilities provided by the library.

Dartmouth College has integrated library research into Blackboard with RefPacks, library resources modules divided into seven broad subject areas.

The University of California at Merced library is using Sakai to deliver their electronic course reserves.

The Community College of Vermont has an "embedded librarian" program, wherein librarians are an integral part of course planning and delivery via an online system.

Learning Objectives: Attendees will learn various ways to make electronic resources available directly to the students and faculty using the campus learning management system. Attendees will also learn how to integrate library services into learning management systems and will take away a list of ideas to help get them started.