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
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
databases_01.htm
databases_06.htm
databases_0607.htm
databases_0619.htm
databases_0627.htm
databases_0635.htm
databases_0640.htm
(find articles tab example)
– College of Business
 06 – College of Applied Science and Tech.
 0607 – Packaging Sciences
 0619 – Hospitality Service
 0627 – Instructional Technology
 0635 – Health Systems Administration
 0640 – Reserve Officer Training
 01
College/Program Specific
(contact info, find articles, subject guides, select websites)
Logic
(find articles tab example)
<cfelseif college is "06">
<!--- examine programs to find databases --->
<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
<!-- content from databases 03 -->
<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>
College/Program Specific
(contact info, find articles, subject guides, select websites)
Fragment file example
<!-- content from databases 03 -->
<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 Mee
Distance and Online Learning Librarian
samwml@rit.edu
Jonathan Jiras
Library Technology Specialist
jjjwml@rit.edu