Overview

By integrating library resources into Blackboard, you can enhance your courses by linking to relevant Library Research Guides, online journal articles or e-books, streaming video or audio, and electronic databases to support course research assignments.

You can also provide students with an opportunity to make contact with a librarian when a research question or need for help arises. Each UST department is assigned a subject liaison librarian. This professional can help choose appropriate library resources, assist with the integration of research into courses or particular assignments, and provide in-class instruction in these matters. You might even wish to add a librarian to your Blackboard course.

Using External Links in Your Blackboard Course
(Please include a full citation or other descriptive material on what you're linking to: if there's a problem with the link. Having some descriptive info may help library staff assist students accessing the material if they call in.)

• Link to a Library Research Guide
  Crafted by our librarians, these guides are web pages explaining how to do research in a particular subject area, highlighting processes and appropriate sources
  • How to link Guides in Blackboard
  • Browse the list of existing guides, or contact your liaison librarian about having them create a course-specific guide
• Link to an Online Article or E-book
  Contact the O'Shaughnessy Frey (2-5498) or Keffer Library Reserves Coordinator (2-4642) for assistance, consult our web page on linking to online articles, or consult your liaison librarian. In rare cases, some e-resources may only allow a limited number of simultaneous users. Please note this with your link text, and notify the Libraries if this causes a problem.
• Link to a Subscription Research Database
  Browse our list of databases by subject or alphabetically by title, and add the link to your course
• Link to Streaming Video or Audio content
  • How to link to a streaming video from our Films on Demand collection
  • Search or browse the list of Films on Demand titles
  • Online streaming audio sources

Using Assignments in Your Blackboard Course

• Follow up the research assignment guidelines with a link to a Library Research Guide or other appropriate resource
• Have students compare two differing opinions on a topic, expressed in two separate journal articles--try linking directly to each article in the outline of the assignment
• Make a "Course Articles" folder and add links directly to required readings, or embed the links directly in your syllabus
• Make a "Live Chat Topics" folder and add links to appropriate articles as conversation starters. These required readings will be the springboard for live chats at scheduled times
• Ask your librarian to post Library instruction handouts for easy access after class

Using Course Tools in the Blackboard Control Panel

• Schedule library instruction to coincide with an assignment that requires research
• Place the scheduled library instruction session on the course calendar
• After a library instruction session, it may help to have the liaison involved in Discussion Boards
• Involve the library in the Create Collaborative Session option

Copyright Issues

• If you have questions regarding copyright issues and the appropriate use of online journals and other materials in your course, please visit our Copyright at UST pages for help and guidelines
• For more information on services the library can provide, consult the Libraries faculty services page