Integrating Library Resources into Blackboard

Integrating Library Resources Into Blackboard
Britt Fagerheim
Coordinator of Library Services for Regional Campuses and Distance Education
britt.fagerheim@usu.edu
435-797-2643

LibGuides
Research guides created by librarians, usually for specific classes
http://libguides.usu.edu
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.

Subject Librarians
Your subject librarian can create a LibGuide for your class which you can link within Blackboard.
List of subject librarians: http://library.usu.edu/coldev/subject-librarians.php
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.

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.

Quick Guides
You can link to one-page tips for accessing library resources and conducting research.
You can access these links from the LibGuide for RCDE faculty at libguides.usu.edu/rcde_faculty.
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.

Linking with 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.

PowerLink to Library Databases
Access a selection of databases that you can link to automatically from within Blackboard.
Will be available within the Add Content link.
This is not yet set up within Blackboard.

Questions?
Please let me know about additional resources you’d like to see available within Blackboard
britt.fagerheim@usu.edu
435-797-2643