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Online Reading Lists: a guide for Academic Staff

A NEW guide for the updated Online Reading Lists support for academic staff.

Help and Support with online Reading Lists

If you have any questions about using online Reading Lists which are not covered in this guide, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian.

1-1 training and support

You can make an appointment with your Academic Liaison Librarian to go over any aspect of using online Reading Lists. To set up a meeting, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian.

New for 2023: Changes to Blackboard Links and Bookmarking

Blackboard Links

This year you will notice that the link to your online reading list in Blackboard has changed. This is due to an internal upgrade to improve the linking process.

You will now see a new item in your Blackboard module menu: 'Talis LTI 1.3'. 
 
What is the Talis LTI 1.3 link in my new Blackboard course? 

Your Talis links in Blackboard were updated over the Summer to a new version called LTI 1.3. This is the name of the link that currently appears in your course. There is no change in how this link is used, and you should find that the new link automatically links to your 2023/24 online reading list. 

What happened to the ‘Reading List’ link? 

The TEL and DTS Teams are currently in the process of renaming all of the ‘Talis LTI 1.3’ links to ‘Reading List’ and expect this activity to continue over the next few days.  This work will also include moving the link from the bottom of the list on the left hand navigation and placing it under the ‘Learning Materials’ link.  

What if I have already renamed the link? 

We appreciate you may have already changed the name of this link to something clearer for students but to provide a consistent student experience the link will be amended to ‘Reading List’. 

What next? 

As we rename the links and move them under the ‘Learning Materials’ link in the navigation, you are not required to do anything. You can continue to use the link as needed.  

What if I need to link to more than one list, or a section of my reading list? 

Please see the Library information on page 5 of this guide for help sharing multiple lists or sections of reading lists. If you have any questions about this, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian. 

We apologise for any concern or confusion that the unexpected appearance of the link has caused. Please be assured that the usual name for and location of the Reading List is being restored. 

Bookmarks

You may be used to using the Bookmark Button to collect information on resources to add to your online reading list. This has now been replaced with the Bookmark Browser Extension. 

The Bookmark Browser Extension works in the same way as the old button, and can be downloaded as an add-in to your web Browser. Please see our guide to the Bookmark Browser Extension, and contact your Academic Liaison Librarian if you have any questions.

Introducing online Reading Lists at Reading

This guide is intended to provide you with enough information to get you started on creating your own online reading lists using the University of Reading's online Reading Lists system. 

If you are new to online reading lists - please visit the next tab to find out how to get started.

If you have used online reading lists before, and need support - please visit the third tab for common questions, and further help.

Please use the tabs along the left hand side of this guide to work through the steps to edit, organise and share your online reading list.

 

Access your online reading lists

For access to our online Reading Lists system follow the link below:

Supporting your students using their online Reading List

For further guidance on using online reading lists, either ask your students to contact their Academic Liaison Librarian directly, or point them in the direction of our online guide for students, to see what advice we suggest.

Students will access online reading lists through Blackboard. This ensures that students are able to see the most up to date list, for their correct academic year and module. There is more information on linking an online reading list to Blackboard in section 5 of this guide 'Saving and Sharing your list'. 

International campuses/partner institutions

Please note that the online Reading Lists system (Talis) should only be used for modules delivered within the UK (i.e. at Whiteknights or London Road), it is not licensed for use at our international partnership institutions/campuses. The University Library availability information linked to each print item and our e-resource and copyright licensing agreements preclude the use of this software for modules taught at our international partnership institutions/campuses, including Malaysia.

If you are completely new to online reading lists at the University of Reading, please follow these steps to get started:

1. Set up your account. If you have not yet created an account with the online Reading Lists system, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian. Your Academic Liaison Librarian can also arrange a 30-minute meeting with you to help set up your account, and to help you get started.

2. Download the Bookmark Browser Extension. The Bookmark Browser Extension tool allows you to collect information on items that you want to add to lists. For more information, please see section 2 of this guide: 'Adding the Bookmark Extension to your web browser'.

If you are editing a list for an existing module and cannot find the list that you need, please speak to your Academic Liaison Librarian.

Please use the tabs along the left hand side of this guide to work through the steps to edit, organise and share your online reading list.

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with your Academic Liaison Librarian.

If you have used online Reading Lists before and you would like a reminder, please follow the steps below:

1. Check that you have downloaded the Bookmark Browser Extension  The Bookmark Browser Extension allows you to collect information on items that you want to add to lists. For more information, please see section 2 of this guide: 'Adding the Bookmark Extension to your web browser'.

2. Add to My Lists. Ensure that you are working on the correct version of the list, for the current or upcoming academic year. If you're not sure how to find a current list, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian.

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You can use the '+ My Lists' button at the top of the reading list to add a list to your 'My Lists' area. This makes it easier to locate - you can view all saved lists in the 'My Lists' section accessible from the top left of the online reading lists screen.

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Now that you have access to the online reading list for the current academic year, you can begin to make edits and updates as necessary. Please use the tabs along the left hand side of this guide to work through the steps to edit, organise and share your online reading list.

​If you have any further questions, please get in touch with your Academic Liaison Librarian

Please use the tabs along the left hand side of this page for more information on aspects of creating, editing, and sharing your online reading list. If you have any questions at all, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian  - we can help via email, over the phone, or in a quick meeting to help in person.

When do I need to publish my list?

Wherever possible, please Publish your lists by the following deadlines. Publishing your lists makes them available to students, and notifies the Library. The Library will need 4-6 working weeks to review online reading lists, order additional items, and ensure that links to online resources are stable.
 

Term Publication deadline (2023/24 academic year)
Full session 2023/24 1st September 2023
Autumn Term 2023 1st September 2023
Spring Term 2024 3rd November 2023
Summer Term 2024 23rd February 2024

It is still possible to edit and make changes to your lists after these deadlines, and throughout the term. If you have any queries about these timescales or about new essential items added to your online reading list, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian.

Accessible format information for online reading lists

The Library automatically adds an accessibility statement to the top of all online reading lists as part of the annual rollover of lists - the statement has a link with information on how students can request accessible format versions of print texts, as below;

Library Alternative Formats [link] https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/help-disabilities/services#s-lg-box-15929471The Library aims to ensure all our resources are accessible. If our print materials are not accessible for you, please contact us at library@reading.ac.uk to ask about alternative formats and discuss your needs.

You may wish to move the Library Alternative Formats link to suit the arrangement of other content on your list, but please don’t delete it.

If you would like to know more about the Library’s alternative formats service, please see our Help for users with disabilities guide below; 
 

 

Annual rollover of online reading lists

At the end of each academic year, all Published lists are 'rolled over' and a copy is created for the following academic year e.g. Autumn Term 2019 will be copied to Autumn Term 2020. Each online reading list is labelled with a time period to indicate the year and term in which it is used.

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If you notice that a time period/term for your list, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian.

When your list has been rolled over, you will receive an email to let you know that the new version is ready to edit, and to link to your new course in Blackboard. 

What happens to last year's list?

Once rollover has taken place, all previous years' online reading lists will be retained and archived in the online Reading List system.  Archived lists no longer appear in general searches of the system by most users, and can no longer be edited. They are still available on a “read-only” basis to Library staff through reports, List Owners (module convenors), and anyone with a direct link. Students will still be able to access previous years' online reading lists through previous Blackboard courses.

  • If you require 'read-only' access to the list, and it is not saved in your 'My Lists' area, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian who can provide a link.
  • If a copy of an old list is required for the new academic year (e.g. if a module runs in alternate years) your Academic Liaison Librarian can also provide a link to a copy for the new academic year.

Why does the Library need my reading list?

Online reading lists provide your students with a single-point of access to: 

  • real-time availability of items held in the Library, along with location information and number of copies
  • links to Library subscriptions and online resources, encouraging students to make use of academic publications
  • copyright-cleared and CLA licence-compliant scans of chapters and articles
  • links to external webpages, videos, audio and images

Raising student satisfaction with Library resources is one of our highest priorities, and your online reading list can help to ensure that the items that your students need are in stock in the Library in time, and sufficient copies and online access is available wherever possible. You do not need to check links to online material, or location information for books on the shelves in the Library, and your Academic Liaison Librarian will contact you if there are any queries about resources recommended on your reading list.