Bringing the Library to You: Integrating Library Resources into Online Classrooms

Bringing the Library to You: Integrating Library Resources into Online Classrooms ACRL/CNI/EDUCAUSE Joint Virtual Conference - Innovate and Motivate: Next Generation Libraries April 20, 2006 Susan Mee and Jonathan Jiras Rochester Institute of Technology

Big Picture • Integration of library resources and course reserves into campus courseware • Design and implementation of a modular, web-based, linking application • Customization of library resources to college, program, and course levels

Agenda • Why? (Sue Mee) • How? (Jon Jiras) • Demo (Sue Mee) • Technical Details (Jon Jiras) • Questions / Discussion

Historical Perspective Courseware Progression: FirstClass  Blackboard  Prometheus  Desire2Learn Distance Learning Courses  Campus, Distance, Blended Pilot Project  Every Course with Course Shell History of Strong Library Involvement: Evaluation  Vendor Training  Implementation  Faculty Workshops

The Challenges • Duplicate Prometheus Features: • Separate Reserve Module – integration of electronic reserve material into course outline or syllabus by Library staff • Online request form for faculty to request electronic reserves • Administrative access available for Library • Generic library information in every course shell • Meet Faculty Expectations for Integration • Short Implementation Timeframe

The Simple Solution • Modular, web-based application • All the features of Prometheus and more • Integration of all reserves and customized Library resources • Link is available by default in every course and from every screen • myLibrary link branded for RIT’s myCourses

myLibrary Link – Added Benefits • Sits completely outside of D2L • Links to existing systems – pages on web server and the ILS reserve module • Does not require library staff to edit course shells or duplicate processing • Decreases reserve processing by at least 25% • Encourages librarians to participate in the success of D2L • Customizes the library experience for users • Makes the library and library resources important D2L assets • Easy migration from quarter to quarter

Three types of content • 1) Course specific • reserve material • 2) College or Program specific • contact info, database lists, subject guides, website lists • 3) Neither (common to all courses, colleges, and programs) • - research tools, library account, books tab

Three Different Views • 1) Student • 2) Faculty • 3) Distance Learner

Similar to an OpenURL link server Takes a URL parameter and returns related links

Software ColdFusion and Windows Internet Information Server Can also be done in PHP, ASP, or other middleware Not a database driven application All logic resides in ColdFusion pages Very simple application Took 70 hours of programming 3 or 4 meetings with Sue

Customizing the Navigation Bar

Customizing the Navigation Bar http://ellie.rit.edu/D2L/course.cfm?CourseNum={OrgUnitCode}&Role={RoleID}

Course numbers at RIT 052210170.20051 05 is college 22 is program 101 is course number 70 is section 20051 is quarter

Course specific (reserves) • Uses ODBC connection to the ILS (Millennium III) • RIT is an III Oracle site • SQL script pulls reserve items • ColdFusion page generates links to catalog

College/Program Specific(contact info, find articles, subject guides, select websites) HTML fragment files (find articles tab example) databases_01.htm  01 – College of Business databases_06.htm  06 – College of Applied Science and Tech. databases_0607.htm  0607 – Packaging Sciences databases_0619.htm  0619 – Hospitality Service databases_0627.htm  0627 – Instructional Technology databases_0635.htm  0635 – Health Systems Administration databases_0640.htm  0640 – Reserve Officer Training

College/Program Specific(contact info, find articles, subject guides, select websites) Logic (find articles tab example) <cfelseif college is "06">  <cfswitch expression = #program#> <cfcase value = '27'> <cfinclude template = "databases_0627.htm"> </cfcase> <cfcase value = '35'> <cfinclude template = "databases_0635.htm"> </cfcase>

College/Program Specific(contact info, find articles, subject guides, select websites) Fragment file example  <tr><td> <a href="http://library.rit.edu/electronic/topic/engineering.html"> Engineering Databases</a> </td></tr> <tr><td> <a href="http://library.rit.edu/electronic/topic/patents.html"> Patent Databases</a></td></tr> </td></tr>

Propagating the Link • Courseware administrator • Added to Default Navigation Bar • Made it appear across all existing shells • Occasional tweak

Maintenance Links are to web pages that list resources by discipline – not to the resources themselves Bibliographers update web pages (as they always have) Minor tweaks/troubleshooting

Statistics • General D2L stats • Spring 2005 -- (15 pilot courses) • Summer 2005 -- (light load) • Fall 2005 -- (3,422 courses) • myLibrary link stats • Over five month period from October through February application was accessed 5,127 times

Future Development Bibliographers develop new web pages to support more programs May develop this into a database driven application Integrate with additional courseware packages ERM implementation Content Management System

More information http://library.rit.edu/desire2learn/ Susan MeeDistance and Online Learning Librarian samwml@rit.edu Jonathan JirasLibrary Technology Specialist jjjwml@rit.edu

Bringing the Library to You: Integrating Library Resources into Online Classrooms