Instructor Support | Additional Resources

In this Guide, you'll find:

• Additional resources and information for teaching and learning support, including
  • Instructions for linking to library materials in Canvas
  • Classroom activity ideas to teach research and information literacy skills
  • Research assignment design tips and considerations
  • Digital learning objects created by the library such as tutorials and videos
  • Instructions for embedding videos and library resources into Canvas

An evolving resource

This guide will be continually updated as we update resources, evolve services, come across new ideas, and links break. Additionally, if you have activities and assignments related to research and information literacy and are willing to share them, please let me know! I'd love to add them to this guide.

Link to Library Database or Catalog Records in Canvas

If you’re using an article or ebook from a library database, or even a physical book that is also available in the library’s collections, as an assigned reading in your course, you can link directly to database and catalog records in your syllabus and in Canvas.

• Look for permanent or stable linking options with the item's database or catalog record.
  • It will not usually work to copy the URL in the address bar when you’ve found the article or ebook you were looking for. The URL in the address bar is created specifically for your search session and won’t work for others later on. (You may have experienced a library database or the catalog timing out on you or kicking you out if you haven’t been active on the page for a certain amount of time.)
• In some databases those permanent links or stable links will be clearly labeled and in others might just be a “Get Link” button—each database is a little bit different. You may also have to open up “Sharing” options to find permanent links for copying.

Build in some practice

Another option that avoids linking altogether is to provide your students with only the citation for an article or ebook, maybe with a hint about where to search (like the name of the database), and have them find the item themselves. This builds in a little searching practice for your students, as well as practice reading and using relevant information from citations.

Note: If you go this route and your students are off campus, you might want to share the library's off-campus access instructions with them as well.