Blackboard: incorporating library resources into your course web pages

Enhance student learning by linking to high quality research materials, right inside their online course. This brief guide will show you how to add library resources to your online course pages.

See also:  Blackboard  help for instructors and Blackboard help for Library staff

How to put readings on your course page

1. Do-it-yourself linking
   
   1. For items in the Library's catalogue,  get durable links directly from the catalogue record.  Learn more
   2. To link directly to a library database, see How to create permanent links to databases
   3. To link directly to specific journal articles, see How to get a link to a U of T journal article or try Article Finder
   4. How to link to the catalogue search page - use this url

       

2. Ask library staff to add permanent links to items in your required reading lists. These lists will appear on your Blackboard course page as documents with active links. 
   
   1. Put Items on Course Reserve - St. George campus
   2. Course Readings - UTM
   3. Placing Material on Course Reserve - UTSC

Ready-made lists of Library resources now appear in your course

Ready-made pages of discipline-specific library resources appear in every Blackboard course. Click on the link LIBRARY RESOURCES in the Blackboard course menu to view the default list.

Designed to enable students to conduct course-related library research without leaving Blackboard, each Library Resources page is tailored to the course discipline and updated automatically.  It includes the U of T Library catalogue, recommended databases, research guides, and other library links. Students see slightly different pages than instructors.  

1. You can view the current feed for any course if you know the course code. 
2. Enter the course code (e.g. HIS100). Select STUDENT or INSTRUCTOR from the drop down menu.
3. Click SHOW FEED.  This will display the current Library Resources page for the course.
4. You can copy the URL for a feed and paste it into any email, web page, or course page.

If you want to make changes to the default feed for your course, the Library can customize the feed for you. For more details, contact your liaison librarian.

How to add electronic course reserves

We make it easy to incorporate electronic reading lists and course reserves into your online course. (Please choose the instructions for your campus.)

• Put Items on course reserve – St. George campus
• Reserves FAQ - UTM
• Placing Material on Course Reserve – UTSC

How a librarian can help instructors and students

Librarians can support your students' learning in a variety of ways, from building customized resource guides to teaching students critical information literacy skills.

• Ask a librarian to help design library-related assignments and tailored research guides
  Contact your liaison librarian
• Ask a librarian to develop an information workshop for your students
  Contact your liaison librarian
• Ask a librarian to find licensed e-resources that support your course objectives
  Contact your liaison librarian
• Ask a Librarian to participate in your online discussion board
  Contact your liaison librarian
• Browse a list of upcoming Library workshops
• Request a classroom visit from a librarian
  • St. George Campus Libraries
  • University of Toronto at Mississauga
  • University of Toronto at Scarborough

Send students on a library tour

The University of Toronto Libraries offers organized tours that encompass a physical tour of the library and an introduction to the key services found in the particular library.

List of scheduled and online tours

Library basics for student success

Give students a head start on navigating the library’s online resources, from learning effective search strategies, to finding databases and subject guides. Just copy and paste selected URLs to your online course page.

• Find materials on course reserve
• Assignment calculator - break assignments into manageable steps
• List of databases by topic
• List of library research guides by topic
• U of T past exams (for Engineering Exams, see http://engineering.library.utoronto.ca/students/past-exams)
• Learn more about peer review articles and primary sources

Copyright Information

These links and documents will answer some common questions about course-related copyright.

• Information on copyright and permitted uses put together by the U of T Libraries
• Copyright at U of T: Links to copyright FAQs, Access Copyright agreements, and more, from the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation

Writing and academic skills for students

Help your students organize essays, apply critical thinking skills, and manage and cite references. The following web sites will connect students to useful self-help sites and live tutorials. Just copy and paste selected URLs to your online course page.

• U of T Writing Centre
• How not to plagiarize
• Citing in Your Essay (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
• Citing Medicine (Nat. Library of Medicine)

More services for instructors

Still haven't found what you're looking for? See this list of services and classes designed to help you teach, organize, and administer all aspects of your course.

• Teaching Workshops for Instructors (Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation)
  List of classes for Faculty and Instructors
• Discover online learning objects from the library's list of of learning object repositories & referatories
• Teaching at U of T (Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation)
• U of T Portal Help (including portal status)
• List of all library services for instructors