Summer 2020 Update to Faculty from Learning & Liaison Librarians

Submitted by jluyben on July 20, 2020 - 16:12

This information was sent by email from the Learning & Liaison Librarians to Trent instructors at the end of July 2020.

There have been many changes in the library this past year, not only from the pandemic, but also from the introduction of a new search tool (Omni) and reading list platform (Leganto). We want to ensure that your students are ready to complete their research for your courses as seamlessly as possible.

Approximately 80-90% of the library's collection is now available online, and our new systems make it easier than ever to find the right research materials. However, while our systems are considerably more intuitive and simplified now, there's still a need for assistance and instruction for both instructors and students. See below how we've organized services and instruction to assist you and your students with teaching and learning in an online environment.

Topics covered:


Reaching Us 

Email: library@trentu.ca 

Any questions you have for the Trent University Library & Archives should be sent to this central email. This helps us to put the best available person on the job, as well as monitor, and track your messages. Please use this email to contact us.
 

Website: trentu.ca/library 

Our website is our primary form of communication, where we keep you informed of changes due to COVID, library hours & services, news items, etc. 

  • Access to our primary resources (Omni, databases, guides) is found at the top of every page. 

 
MyTRENT 

Under “Academic” you’ll find an icon for “Library Search” and the website. These can be dragged to the bottom menu bar for quick access. 

 
Drop-In Mondays 

Every Monday 11am-noon, we’re live on zoom to answer your questions and provide solutions. Ask us about anything to do with the Library.  

  • If you need the link to the drop-in, check your email or contact library@trentu.ca. We don't post this on the website.


Library Instruction

Online library instruction will be offered again this Fall and Winter through Blackboard. Our course, named "Library Instruction 2020-21", contains modules on:

  • Omni: The Academic Library Search Tool
  • Leganto: Course Readings & Resources
  • Scholarly Citations
  • Scholarly Articles

Each module takes about 30 minutes, and provides instruction and a test. Students can go through each module as many times as it takes to pass the test with 100%. When they're successful in all four modules, they receive a certificate. The certificate counts toward all the courses for which it's required in the current academic year.

You decide what it's worth in your course and when it's due.

While the instruction is geared toward first-year students, any student will benefit from understanding these basic academic concepts. All courses are invited to participate. If you wish to include your Fall or Winter course this year, register your course with the library. We'll ensure your students are enrolled in the program, answer all questions, and monitor the course.

Proof of Completion

After your due date we'll contact you about how you want to receive proof of completion for your students. Options are:

  • you require individual students to submit their certificates to you individually (through Blackboard), or
  • we send you complete/incomplete status for your students via spreadsheet.

To participate in this instructional program, please register your course(s) using this email link: library@trentu.ca. This allows us to register your students  in the program and give them accurate information on your expectations.
 

Syllabus Text

Here is suggested text to add to your syllabus concerning the library instruction program. Feel free to copy and paste it.

Library Instruction

You are required to complete the "Library Instruction Program 2020-21" as part of this course. 

It's due on______________.

It's worth ________ in this course.   OR   Submission of proof of completion is required with your first assignment.

You'll find the course listed in Blackboard, under "My Courses". All instructions are provided in the course. The course instructors are librarians: should you have any questions or comments on the course content, please use the contact information within the course to connect with them.

When you have completed the course successfully, you'll receive a certificate. Be sure to download the certificate as proof of completion.


Omni & Leganto Demos

We’re trying to reach every academic department, to provide group workshops on making the most of Omni and Leganto, and understanding library processes.

  • Omni is the new library search tool, with incredible connections to a vast network of library resources world-wide. It’s much more than a library catalogue.
  • Leganto is an interactive tool for designing online course reading lists, using library expertise and materials. It combines the powers of Omni and Blackboard to link students with readings, while giving instructors feedback on their use.
    • Leganto relies on existing library expertise to ensure your readings are reliably available in online enviroments.
    • Leganto also replaces our online forms for Copyright clearance, purchase requests, and Reserves. Put them on your list and we take over from there.

Please email library@trentu.ca with a few good dates/times when your department can meet. We’ll join you by Zoom and walk you through the features and benefits of using library tools for course readings. It takes 1-2 hours and you can walk away with your first reading list set up.

If you can't meet with us, be sure to use the guides to walk you through them.


Content Rover Training

Many departments have hired student Content Rovers for the summer. We have an ongoing training program to ensure they know how to use library resources most effectively - like populating Leganto lists with your course readings. We also maintain communication with the rovers, so we are there to help with any concerns.

To get your Content Rover involved in our training, send their name & username to us at library@trentu.ca. We’ll take over from there.


Purchasing Library Material

We’re concentrating our resources on what’s required for your courses this year. Whenever possible, we’re purchasing ebooks with multiple users to support your teaching. TULA no longer keeps separate budgets for individual departments, and our online “Requisition Request” form is not needed.

If you need books for your courses, do one of the following:

  1. Create a Leganto Reading List.
    • This gives us all the information we need to evaluate the request: how it’s used in the course, when it’s needed, how many students are in your course, etc.
    • You just add it to your list and “Send” the list to the library. It will automatically be considered for purchase as a multi-user ebook, even if we already own it in physical format. You don’t need to do anything further.
      • NOTE: You can "Send" your list before it's complete, if you want to give us a heads-up that something is needed. Just don't click "Send" again later - you only need to do this once to make it active in our library workflow. Items you add later will automatically be brought to our attention.
  2. Send an email to library@trentu.ca.
    • This starts the purchase consideration process and we’ll get back to you once we’ve confirmed availability and pricing.
    • Note that ebooks are not always available for library purchase, even if they are available to individuals. Especially in the case of textbooks, publishers don’t always make ebooks available to libraries.


Copyright

When shifting course delivery to the online environment, copyright issues should not be a significant additional concern.

  • You can continue to apply Trent University’s fair dealing guidelines.
  • Items added to a Leganto reading list will automatically be assessed for fair dealing.
  • For the most part, if it was acceptable in the classroom, it is acceptable online.
  • Audiovisual material considerations:
    • It is acceptable to use brief clips (less than 10%) of an audiovisual work in your online class.
    • While playing legally obtained physical AV material (e.g. CDs, DVDs) in its entirety was acceptable in in-person lectures, this exception does not usually apply in the online environment.
    • For information on the options available regarding incorporating audiovisual works for online classes, please refer to the Trent University Copyright Office’s “Quick Guide to Copyright for Online Delivery of Audiovisual Materials.”


Videos

There are thousands of streaming videos available through the library, and these can be used for coursework. Find them by searching for your topic/title and filtering to “videos”. When you locate the one you want, copy the “Permalink” and post it in your Blackboard course, preferably through your Leganto list.

Since the library has arranged access for our students to these videos, your students can access them easily. Omni looks after student validation by requiring sign-in.

In particular, we'd like to remind you of our subscription to JoVE Science Education videos. Our current subscription includes Chemistry, Physics, and Core Biology. JoVE provides syllabus mapping services and videos can be embedded in Blackboard. For more information, please see their Faculty Resources Center. We also have a trial to their Environmental Sciences videos until August 15. To access this trial please contact library@trentu.ca for a username and password.

Physical DVDs are not as easy. If you normally use a physical DVD for classes, contact library@trentu.ca to inquire about alternatives. We’ll investigate options for streaming with you.


Physical Reserves

We do not expect to have physical Reserve items available in the near future. Since returned books require 72 hours of isolation before they can be touched, a short term loan simply isn't feasible.

At least for the Fall term, we're assuming that all course readings should be available online. When you add them to your Leganto reading list, we will attempt to purchase e-book replacements and contact you if this isn't possible, to discuss alternatives.

As always, copyright regulations apply to material you post directly into your Blackboard course, and you should not be distributing material this way without obtaining copyright clearance from the Copyright Centre. This is done by creating a Leganto list, which is automatically sent to the Copyright Office for assessment.


Curbside Pickup for Physical Library Material 

Physical material in the library that is normally available for borrowing can be requested for pickup. Currently this applies only to faculty and graduate students, but eventually students will also have this option. You’ll find details about this service on the library website at Curbside
Pickup Now Available.