An important message from the University Librarian and Vice-Principal for Education regarding online provision of Library resources.
As the University prepares for blended learning from September, Aberdeen University Library is working to ensure that our students have access to the Library resources that they need to support their learning. In order to do this, we are building a reading list service that aims to enhance the learning experience by:
- Providing reading lists integrated with MyAberdeen for all UG and PGT courses.
- Providing seamless access to digital content for essential items where possible.
In order to develop this service, the Library needs help from all teaching staff. Library staff need your reading lists so that they can upload them into their new reading list system and create links to digital versions. We understand that you are already very busy and so the Library aims to make this as easy as possible for you. Library staff will check lists, create online versions and ensure that they are visible in MyAberdeen. They will also investigate digital options where your essential reading presently relies on printed materials, held in our physical libraries.
Building this service for September will be a major undertaking for the Library, so to help us manage the work we ask that when you submit your lists you identify a maximum of three essential items for each course. We will then focus on ensuring that these items can be made available online within limitations imposed by cost, licensing and copyright. Where essential items are unavailable in electronic format Library staff will provide support to identify alternatives. The other items on your lists will also be checked, added to new online lists and enhanced with links to electronic content where this is available from our existing digital collections.
The Library will work with each School to gather the necessary information, provide support and answer specific questions. This communication is to make you aware of our plans, and to ask that you respond as positively as you can to help us develop this important part of the blended learning experience. Details will follow at School level soon providing more information about what we need from you and how the service will operate. In the meantime, please direct any queries to simon.bains@abdn.ac.uk
Ruth Taylor
Vice Principal Education
Simon Bains
University Librarian