Using Today’s Library as a Teaching Resource

Britt FagerheimCoordinator of Library Services for

Regional Campuses and Distance Education britt.fagerheim@usu.edu

435-797-2643

Electronic Collections

• Large number of electronic journal subscriptions, plus full text access to many more journals via the article databases.

• Over 150 article databases • Increasing numbers of e-books and electronic

book collections available from the library

Print Collections

• Online request form to have print books sent to the student’s home

• Online form to request a scan of any print articles available in the library

• Interlibrary Loan for articles available to all students (articles sent as pdf files)

• See the Regional Campus and Distance Education Library Services Guide

Online Encyclopedias

• Two large encyclopedia collections: Gale Reference Collection and Oxford Reference Online

• Collection of individual, specialized encyclopedias

• All encyclopedias are full text

E-books

• Library catalog contains all print and electronic books owned by the library

• Search for e-books in the library catalog by typing a keyword and choosing e-Books within Type.

• Coming: Purchase on Demand trial for e-books in psychology and education

Library Databases

• See full collection of library electronic databases

• Select just a few to point students for class research: PowerLink within Blackboard

• Will be available within the Add Content link.• Get help from your subject librarian

Library Databases

• Find permanent/durable links for sources in the library databases.

• Also find instructions for linking to a database from within Blackboard

• Create links to specific items in the USU Digital Library using shorter URLs than the URL which appears in the menu bar.

LibGuides

• A way to collect together select resources for a course or subject with the help of your subject librarian

• Example: ENGR 1000• These can be linked within any page in

Blackboard and can either open in a new page or within Blackboard.

• Example of LibGuide linked within a class.

LibGuides – Research Tips

• You can link to one-page tips for accessing library resources and conducting research.

• You can access these links from the LibGuide for RCDE instructors.

• Find tips for accessing library resources, plus a guide for citing sources and searching a specific database.

• Also find a Guide to Research, broken down into specific steps. You can link to specific pages within the guide.

Subject Librarians

• Your subject librarian can create a LibGuide for your class

• List of subject librarians• Your subject librarian has expertise in the library

resources for the particular discipline and can: – create a library research guide– provide research help within Blackboard by responding to

students’ questions via e-mail – monitor a discussion thread to help students with

individual or group research projects.

Library Help “Widgets”

• Currently, two “widgets” are available within the Blackboard course template.

• The Library Tips widget lists a selection of LibGuides related to research in general and accessing the library resources.

• The chat widget enables students to send an instant message to the reference desk and interact with a librarian.

• These are available in the current Blackboard template and can be added into any page by your instructional designer.

Questions?

• britt.fagerheim@usu.edu • 435-797-2643• Subject Librarians:

http://library.usu.edu/coldev/subject-librarians.php