Integrating Library Resources
into Desire2Learn
A presentation and demo to the
University of Wisconsin and Ohio State
October 26, 2005
Shirley Bower, Susan Mee, Jonathan Jiras
Rochester Institute of Technology
Agenda
1. Big picture (Shirley Bower)
2. Demo (Sue Mee)
3. Technical Details (Jon Jiras)
4. 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
 “Widget-like” generic library information in every
course
 Administrative access available for Library
• Meet Faculty Expectations for Integration
• Short Implementation Timeframe
The Solution – Simple but Eloquent
• Modular Web Based Application
• Is not a widget – avoids limitations of widgets
• Link from main navigation bar of D2L – available from
every screen
• All the features of Prometheus + MORE
• Integration of all reserves + customized library resources
• Added to default course shell – appears in all courses
• myLibrary link branded for RIT’s myCourses
myLibrary Link – Added Benefits
• Sits completely outside of D2L
• Links to existing systems – pages on web server, III
reserve module
• Does not require library staff to edit course shells or
duplicate processing
• Decreased 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
Views
• Student
• Faculty
• 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 cold fusion pages
Very simple application
Took 70 hours of programming
3 or 4 meetings with Sue
Customizing the Nav Bar
Customizing the Nav Bar
http://ellie.rit.edu/D2L/course.cfm?
CourseNum={OrgUnitCode}&Role={RoleID}
Customizing the Nav Bar
Available variables (pg. 65)
{OrgUnitId}
{OrgUnitName}
{OrgUnitCode}
{OrgUnitPath}
{OrgId}
{OrgName}
{UserId}
{UserName}
{OrgDefinedId}
{FirstName}
{LastName}
{ExternalEmail}
{InternalEmail}
{RoleId}
{RoleCode}
Variables we are sending
{OrgUnitCode}
{RoleId}
Variables we can’t send
{OrgUnitName}
{FirstName}
{LastName}
Variables we can’t send
{OrgUnitName}
{FirstName}
{LastName}
Not URL Encoded
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 Oracle III 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 example)
– College of buisness
 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 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
D2L administrator
• Added to Default Nav 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
avg. 300 hits per week
3% have removed the link
Future Development
Bibliographers develop new web pages to support more
programs.
May develop this into a database driven application (like
University of Rochester’s Course Reserves and Resources
Management System).
Integrate with additional courseware packages
ERM implementation
Content Management System
URL Encoded versions of variables
More information
Mee, Susan (2005, August). Bringing the Library to You:
Integrating Library Resources into Online Classrooms.
Presentation, video and handout for the 2nd
International Desire2Learn Users Conference
(http://library.rit.edu/desire2learn/), Madison, WI.
Contact Information
Shirley Bower – Digital Assets Team Manager
slbwml@rit.edu
Susan Mee – Distance and Online Learning Librarian
samwml@rit.edu
Jonathan Jiras – Library Software Specialist
jjjwml@rit.edu