Integrating Library Services, Resources, and Information Literacy into Blackboard

This site is designed to help SDSU faculty integrate library services, resources and information literacy into their courses on Blackboard. We hope you will find a variety of research-oriented handouts and student learning activities to help create vibrant lifelong learners. Please feel free to contact your library liaison or the Information Literacy Librarian for more help integrating information literacy into Blackboard and the curriculum at large.

STEP 1: Create a Folder for Library Resources

Library Resources Folder

Description: Library resources can be embedded throughout your Blackboard course or they may be included in one folder. You may consider adding library resources, such as databases, subject guides, librarian contact information, and Live Help to a special 'Library Resources' folder.

How to create the 'Library Resources' folder in Blackboard: Navigate to the Control Panel Click on 'Manage Course Menu' Add a Content Area Type in 'Library Resources' to name the Content Area

 

STEP 2: Integrating Library Services into Blackboard

Librarians

Description: A librarian is assigned to every major or subject area on campus. Considering collaborating with your librarian to enhance student learning in your courses on Blackboard.

Locate your librarian on the Library's website: Follow the link to you librarian liaison's homepage from this page: /about/subject.shtml Highlight your librarian's name and contact information. Press Ctrl-C to copy.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the 'Library Resources' Content Area. Type "Your Librarian" in the Name Field. Press Ctrl-V to paste the librarian's information in the Text box. Note: you may wish to do some editing. Click Submit.

Alternative Integration Method One: Add your librarian in the faculty/staff contact area. Follow the link to you librarian liaison's homepage from this page: /about/subject.shtml From the Control Panel in Blackboard, add a folder in the 'Staff Information" content area called "Your Librarian." Inside of the "Your Librarian" folder, create a profile for the librarian. At a minimum, you will need to add the librarian's name and email address. Hint: either type in the information or copy-and-paste it from your librarian's homepage.

Alternative Integration Method Two: Link to your librarian from any content area. Choose your librarian liaison from this page: /about/subject.shtml Right click with your mouse on the name of your librarian. Click on Copy Link Location From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the Content Area where you'd like this link to appear. Type "Your Librarian" in the Name Field. Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field. Click Submit

Live Help

Description: Live Help is a service of the CSU Libraries. Live Help provides you with real-time web-based searching assistance while chatting online with a Reference Librarian 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Download the Live Help Icon: Right click with your mouse on this image: Click on 'Save Image As' to save it to your desktop or other location.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the 'Library Resources' Content Area. Add an Item. Type "Chat with a reference librarian about your research 24 hours a day" in the specify your own name field. In Section 2, browse for the file to attach and locate the image (called "button_help"). Change the drop-down menu for Special Action to: 'Display media file within the page.' Click Submit to continue to the next page in Blackboard. Right click with your mouse on this link: Live Help Click on 'Copy Link Location.' Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field on Blackboard. Click Submit.

STEP 3: Integrating Library Resources into Blackboard

Articles and Journals

Description: You can create links to a wide array of library resources and journal articles. Persistent links are also called persistent URLs, stable URLs, or DOIs (digital object identifiers). Persistent links are one important step toward using information ethically and legally, avoiding copyright violations.

Locate the article or journal: Go to Citation Linker: http://sfx.calstate.edu:3023/sdsu/cgi/core/citation-linker.cgi Type in as much of the citation for an article as you know. For journals, type in the name of the journal and a date, if desired. Click GO. Click on 'Save the link for this citation with the Find Full Text Link Generator.' The citation and link will appear in the 'Capture Citation' window. Test your links! Citation Linker is a very powerful tool, but it isn't foolproof. ** Highlight the URL and press Ctrl-C to copy it. Make the URL shorter (critical step): Unfortunately, Blackboard cannot handle such a long URL. You must generate a shorter URL to successfully link to the journal or article. Go to http://www.makeashorterlink.com Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL for the article or journal in the box. Click the 'Make a shorter link' icon to generate a new link to the article or journal. Highlight the new URL and press Ctrl-C to copy it.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the Content Area where you'd like this link to appear. Add an external link. Enter a name in the name field. Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field. Add a description, if desired. Click Submit.

** For more information on linking to electronic resources, see: /faculty/resourcelinking.shtml or contact your library liaison.

Databases

Description: You can create links to specific article databases to assist students in their research for your course.

Locate the database you want to add from the Library's website. Please note: It is critical that you link to the database from the Library's website and not the general Internet. Choose specific databases from this page: /research/databases/databases.shtml Right click with your mouse on the name of a database. Click on Copy Link Location.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the 'Library Resources' Content Area. If you plan to add more than one database, consider adding a new folder called 'Library Databases' inside of the 'Library Resources' folder. In either the 'Library Resources' or 'Library Databases' folder, add an external link. Type "[Title of Database]" in the Name Field. Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field. Click Submit.

For more information on linking to electronic resources, see: /faculty/resourcelinking.shtml or contact your library liaison.

Electronic Course Reserves (ECR)

Description: SDSU Library & Information Access will scan materials, obtain copyright permission as required, and make course readings available to students electronically. Each course on the Library's Electronic Course Reserve (ECR) system will be given a unique password. Students will need to enter this password (provided by their instructor) to access the electronic course reserves for your class. For more information, contact ECR: /about/depts/reserve/rbr.shtml

Locate your course in the Electronic Course Reserves system: Go to the ECR search page: http://ecr.sdsu.edu/eres/courseindex.aspx?error=&page=search Navigate until you find your the main page for your course (the page that asks for your password). Press Ctrl-C to copy the URL from the web browser's URL box.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the Content Area where you'd like this link to appear. We suggest adding this link to wherever your course readings are located. Add an External Link. Type "Electronic Course Reserves" in the Name Field Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field. Click Submit

STEP 4: Integrating Information Literacy into Blackboard

Subject Guides

Description: SDSU Librarians have prepared research guides for different subjects. This guides will give students tips about how and where to get started on their research.

Locate Subject Research Guide: Choose a research subject guide from this page: /research/guides/researching.shtml Right click with your mouse on the name of the desired research subject guide. Click on Copy Link Location.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the 'Library Resources' Content Area. Add an External Link. Type "[Name of Subject Guide]" in the Name Field. Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field. Click Submit

Handouts and Activities

Description: The SDSU Library and Information Access online Information Literacy Explorer includes a variety of research-oriented handouts and student learning activities to help engage your students in the research process. Materials are available in both PDF and Word document formats and are matched to the Association of College & Research Libraries' (ACRL) standards and student learning outcomes for information literacy. Note: A variety fo prepackaged Information Literacy Student Learning Activity Packets, complete with handouts, activities, discussion board topics and quizzes are also available.

Locate the handouts and activities you wish to include: Go to this page: https://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~pjackson/explore_il.html Download the handouts and activities you would like to include in your course on Blackboard.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the Content Area where you'd like an item to appear, such as Assignments. Add an item. Type "Information Literacy Assignments" in the Name Field. In Section 2, browse for the file to attach (locate the desired file on your computer or other location). Type in the name of the document under 'Name of Link to File.' Leave the Special Action section on 'Create a link to this file.' Click Submit.

 

Digital Learning Objects

Description: There are many repositories of interactive digital learning objects, such as tutorials and simulations available online for students to use. If you see something out there you like, please let your library liaison know so the Library can investigate establishing it or something similar here at SDSU.

Locate the digital learning object you would like to include in your course on Blackboard. Try searching MERLOT or LOEX catalogs for information literacy learning objects. Follow the link to the URL for the desired digital learning object. Press Ctrl-C to copy the URL from the web browser's URL box.

How to integrate this into Blackboard: From the Control Panel in Blackboard, choose the Content Area where you'd like this link to appear. Add an external link. Enter a name in the name field. Press Ctrl-V to paste the URL into the URL field. Add a description, if desired. Click Submit.