- What is the Reading List Service
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The Reading List Service
What is the Reading List Service?
The Reading List Service is the library’s new service designed to support you in the creation of integrated and engaging reading lists for your students, providing them with easy access to their course materials. By creating your reading list in this way, you can help to build the library collection (both digital and print) to ensure it meets your student’s needs. Through this service, in 2022-23 we processed more than 1100 reading lists and added over 350 e-books to our digital collections.
Guidance on how to manage existing reading lists and create new lists is available via step by step tutorials in the Leganto Toolkit or in our quick guide.
As part of the service you can expect the Library too:
- Purchase all essential items not currently held by the library - subject to availability and affordability.
- Purchase ebooks before print where it is affordable to do so
- Notify you by email if an ebook is not available
- Purchase two copies of the print version, if possible, where an ebook is not available
- Notify you by email if a print copy is also not available
Should you have any queries please contact the Reading List Service team via email, library@abdn.ac.uk
Leganto
Leganto is the University’s new system for managing reading lists. It makes preparing and sharing course reading lists easy, and allows you and your students to make the best possible use of our library resources. By using Leganto you can update and create reading lists that are relevant, interactive, and accessible for your students to access via the VLE.
It is also integrated with MyMBChB, MyBDS and MyPA, the VLEs that specifically support the Medicine (MBChB), Dentistry (BDS) and Physician Associate Studies (MSc) programmes.
Leganto enables you to add links to materials from practically any resource, e.g. print and ebooks, online journals, websites and YouTube videos. Linking directly to items in Primo means that the students can access the material quickly and if the journal changes publisher, any link updated in Primo will be immediately updated in your list. It also saves the time you would spend uploading Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) coversheets for material in copyright.
Electronic Resources and Digitisation
Wherever possible, we will ensure your essential reading will be linked to an electronic resource.
When you recommend a particular chapter within a printed book which we already own - and it is covered by the CLA Licence - you can request fully accessible scan for your students to access digitally via the course reading list.
For books covered by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) Higher Education Licence, a maximum of 10% or one chapter of a book may be scanned for teaching purposes. There is no restriction on copying from books which are out of copyright. For journal titles covered by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) Higher Education Licence, a maximum of one article per journal issue/part may be scanned for teaching purposes. More information on this can be found via the copyright webpages.
If studying on campus, students will be able to see the physical stock we have in the library and reserve/borrow items on our shelves.
Will my students need to learn anything to use it?
Leganto is intuitive, but we will be publishing resources to help students navigate the tool. It will make it easy to find and access what they need to read, watch, and listen to, all in one place as it links directly to Primo, our library catalogue. As an instructor, you can add notes to the lists to fine tune student engagement.
- Creating a Reading List
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Creating a Reading List
Guidance for the 2023/24 Academic Year
The rolled over reading lists are ready for you to review, update and extend for the 2023/2024 academic year.
In 2023/2024 we will continue to purchase the essential items on your reading list not currently available through the library - where costs and licencing permit. Any purchases made through the Reading List Service will come from the dedicated reading list fund, and not through your department budget.
Support in learning how to edit an existing Leganto reading list as well as how to create a brand new one can be found via:
You can also schedule personalised online support sessions to better assist you in developing your Leganto reading list. These can be booked using the link below:
All of our guidance materials are regularly updated to reflect any changes or as issues are raised. Additional training material's will be published throughout the academic year.
As per the previous year, we expect that costs and licences will mean that some titles will not be affordable and licence restrictions may limit online availability. Therefore, the Library is continuing to share reading list requests with Blackwell’s to support you and your students. To avoid any delay at all, if you have plan to recommend that your students purchase any books, or you normally work with Blackwell's on book bundles for your courses, please email the details directly to the Blackwell’s Store Manager.
Why should I identify the essential items for my course in 2023/24?
If you identify your essential items now, we will check if the items are available digitally and purchase licences for them (subject to affordability). If we are unable to acquire a digital copy, we aim to purchase two printed copies from which - if covered by the CLA licence - 10% or a chapter can be digitised and accessed from your reading list.
Tagged items within your Leganto reading list will be checked and purchased as quickly as possible, with the Library team aiming to get as many items available prior to the start of term as possible. All requests will be processed in the order they are received - the closer to the start of term your request is submitted, the higher the risk that will not be processed until after teaching has begun.
You can identify your essential items by adding the tag "Essential Item - Please Purchase E-Copy" to that line on your reading list. Guidance on how to do this is available via the links above.
Availability of Requested Items
Books
- Once we have purchased the ebook you have requested, it will be accessible via your reading list as soon as it is activated by the provider.
- If we are unable to purchase an ebook you have requested, we will notify you by email, and if we do not hold a print copy of the title in the Library we will purchase two copies.
- If we are unable to purchase any print copies, you will also be notified by email.
Extracts e.g., book chapters and journal articles
- Once you have made a digitisation request via Leganto, a link to the extract will be available on the reading list.
- If we are unable to digitise an extract, we will notify you by email.
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any Leganto Training for academic staff?
There is a Legano toolkit which includes step-by-step instructions detailing the process on how to create an new reading list and maintain a rolled over one from the previous year.
Additionally, we have two guides which are kept regularly updated.
Further training is being developed and Q&A sessions will be scheduled as we get closer to the start of term. In the meantime, any enquiries or questions can be answered by emailing library@abdn.ac.uk.
Will an online reading list ensure all recommended reading is online?
We will link your essential reading to an electronic resource wherever possible. If you recommend a chapter within a printed book which we already own, you can make a digitisation request via Leganto. If the title is covered by the CLA Licence, we will be able to scan that chapter and offer access to it via a link on your reading list.
Alternatively, your students will be able to see the availability and location of our physical stock by clicking on the citation in Leganto and can reserve and borrow items from our shelves.
How many essential texts can I request the Library to order for 2023/24?
The Library will purchase any essential texts not already available, subject to availability and affordability. To make a purchase request simply add the tag “Essential Item – please purchase e-copy” to the item on Leganto. Additional support can be found in the training materials above
How are books being prioritised for purchase?
Wherever possible, a digital copy will be purchased. If a digital copy is not available and the item is not already held in the Library, we will buy two print copies for our collections.
Will there be a limit to how many students can access a particular item?
While some of our eBook licences are for an unlimited number of simultaneous users, others are for a limited number of users – for example one user, or three users at a time. Details on the limited licences are included, where possible, within the reading list and in the Primo record.
Will there be more licences available to support e-book access for multiple students?
By including the approximate number of students when you are creating/reviewing your lists we are better equipped to make decisions on the licensing required. If additional licences for existing holdings can be purchased cost effectively, we will consider doing so.
Why are you asking me to estimate the number of students on my course?
Entering the student numbers for the course enables you to view the usage of the items on your reading list. It also helps us assess whether additional licences are required for eBooks we already hold.
What is the difference between an eBook and an eTextbook?
Publishers determine the categorisation of their books and often classify popular books that contain study materials and exercises specifically designed for students as textbooks. Library licences for eTextbook or eTexts are tied to the number of students on a course and must be renewed annually. Unfortunately, the licensing model applied by publishers means that eTexts are considerably more expensive than eBooks for the Library to purchase. Currently we are unable to purchase eTexts as part of the Reading List Service.
My courses rely on students being able to access printed items within the Library collections. How can they do this?
All our libraries are open to registered students and staff with occupancy levels in compliance with sector guidelines.