Reading List Service

Reading List Service

What is the Reading List Service?

The Reading List Service is 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 students' needs. Through this service, in 2023-24 we processed more than 1100 reading lists and added over 460 titles to our collections.

Guidance on how to manage existing reading lists and create new lists is available via step by step tutorials in the Leganto Toolkit

As part of the service you can expect the Library to:

  • 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, you can contact the Reading List Service team via email: library@abdn.ac.uk

Guidance for the Current Academic Year

Leganto

The rolled over Leganto reading lists are ready for you to review, update and extend for the 2024/2025 academic year.  As per last year, we will continue to purchase the essential items on your reading list not currently available through the library - where costs and licencing permit.

In Leganto you can update and create reading lists that are relevant, interactive, and accessible for your students to access via the VLE. 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.

By using Leganto, you gain access to our dedicated reading list fund meaning any purchases requested will not affect your department budget. 

Building your Reading List

Discover how to create and manage your reading list by following the steps below. Alternatively, if you prefer visual guidance, you can find tutorial videos on our Leganto Toolkit

Step 1. Accessing your reading list

We recommend accessing your course reading list from within the VLE as this will carry over your access credentials. 

To do this, either select "Reading List" from within the course content, or find the "Books & Tools" button from within the "Details & Actions" menu on the right and then select the reading list from there. 

Alternatively, it is possible for you to access your reading lists via the public link however from here you would need to sign in before you could make any changes. 

Step 2. Creating a new reading list

If the course already has a reading list rolled over from last year, then please proceed to Step 3. Otherwise, follow the steps below to create a new one.

• First, as per Step 1, click through to Leganto from your course area. Here you will be given the option to "Create List".

A screengrab of Leganto showing a magnifying glass. The message reads "No results found - try adjusting your search terms or filters". Above this is a menu option saying "Create List" - this is highlighted in a red box indicating that the user should click here.

• In the next screen you will be asked to name the list. We recommend the following format as on COURSE CODE (Academic Year): Course Name - eg.  EL1009 (2022-23): Acts of Reading. This will match the course name on Blackboard. Then click Next

• You will then be asked to "Create Sections" to give initial structure to your reading list. You can pick from two templates: 

  1. "Default": which will create three sections, organising your reading list by priority - Essential, Recommended, Additional.
  2. "Weekly"; which will section your reading list by numbered weeks. When choosing this option, you can specify how may weeks you want listed. 

• When you are happy with your selection, click on "Create List". 

Step 3. Adding Library items

Adding an item to your reading list, regardless of resource type, all begins with the same process:

• To do this click the blue "+Add" button near the top of the page. 

Image is a screenshot of a reading list. You can see the blue "Add" button at the top of the page from which a menu is dropped down. On the menu there is a red box around the top item which reads "Search the Library" indicating that this the selection that should be made.

• From this point the way you search and add your item is dependent on the type of resource you are looking for. 


Whole Books

• The default search option is "All Library Collections" and we recommend leaving it on this for searching books. 

• You can either type in the name of the title you are looking for, or click on advanced search and add the author's name.

TIP: do not search by ISBN – ebooks often have multiple ISBNs

• Within the results you will be able to see if a title is physical or electronic on the last line of the item information. 

• If more than one version is held by the Library, you can see the details of them all by clicking on "Additional version available"

A screenshot of the search page within Leganto, a search has already been completed for "Cite them Right". Within the results the title information has "additional version available" highlighted in a red box, indicating that you should click here.

• Clicking this will bring up all editions, and when you have found the one you require simply click the blue "+" button on the right of the title.

• If you want to add the whole title, simply pick the section you want the title to be added to and click "Add". 


Book Chapters

• If you only want to recommend a specific chapter, follow the steps above but click "Add & Edit"

Screenshot of a title record in Leganto. At the bottom there two buttons, one of which, "Add & Edit", is highlighted in a red box. Indicating that this is the button that should be selected. The other button simply reads "Add".

• This will take you to a new screen where you can change the item type from "Book" to "Book Chapter". 

• You must add a "Chapter Title" at the top of the page - indicated by the red asterisk. If the chapter doesn't have a specific title just use the chapter number. 

• Once you've done this, scroll down the form making any other appropriate changes to the record, such as adding the chapter number, or the page information. 

• Then click save. 


Journal Articles

• There is little difference between adding a journal article or a whole book. The only change would be, at the very beginning, to change the search option from the default to "Search Everything".

TIP: do not search by DOI – Leganto struggles to find articles by DOI

• Then as before, once the item has been found click on the blue "+" button, pick the section you want the title to be added to, and click "Add". 

Step 4. Adding new items

You can add numerous kinds of resources onto Leganto, including titles that the Library does not already hold. 

There are two methods to do this, either adding the item information manually or by using "Cite it!". 


Manual Entry

• From the "+ Add" menu click on "Manual Entry".

Image is a screenshot of a reading list. You can see the blue "Add" button at the top of the page from which a menu is dropped down. On the menu there is a red box around the top item which reads "Manual Entry" indicating that this the selection that should be made.

• Doing this will bring up a form for you to complete with three pages. The first requires you to specify the "Type" of resource from a drop-down menu, as well as putting in a title. 

• The second page will require a "Creator" - typically the author information - as well any additional bibliographic information. The more information you add here, the better for your students referencing.

TIP: Adding the ISBN information will allow Leganto to find a cover image. 

• The third and final page allows you pick what section you want the title to be added to within your list, as well as any tags (see Step 5). 

There are two ways to do this, either adding the item information manually or by using "Cite it!". 


Cite it!

• For a slightly faster way of adding items, you can use "Cite it!".

• From within the reading list, click on the cog symbol on the upper right-hand side of the screen and click "Cite it!"

A screenshot of the menu found under the cog symbol in Leganto. There is a red box around the phase "Cite it!" indicating that this the selection that should be made

• Then follow the onscreen instructions to add the shortcut to your browser. 

TIP: While you should only need to do this once, a quick problem solving fix if Cite it! doesn't work for you is to delete the widget and then reload

• Next find the title you want to add on a third party website. We recommend either the publisher website or Blackwell's online store. 

• Click the Cite it! widget. This will create a pop-up with all the bibliographic information pre-populated. All you then need to do is find your reading list from the drop-down menu at the bottom and select "Add"

A screenshot of a title being sold on Blackwell's website. There is a popup halfway through the page with the book information loaded by cite it. At the bottom there is red text prompting the user to select a reading list.

• Cite it! can also be used on websites, online new articles and YouTube videos.

Step 5. Purchase and digitisation requests

Purchase Requests

• To request an item for purchase, add it to your reading list and then click on it to open the full information.

• Click on add tag to bring up the drop-down menu. 

TIP: As well as essential items, the RLS will try and procure items aimed at decolonising your course material. 

• Select either of the top two tags:

  1. "Essential Item – please purchase e-copy" - for materials essential to your teaching
  2. "Decolonisation Item - please purchase e-copy" - for materials in support of decolonisation. 

TIP: If an item is available already but only in print, you can still add a tag requesting an e-copy

•  We will investigate ebook availability and will email you if the ebook is unavailable/unaffordable

• If this is the case, we will purchase two print copies for the library, subject to availability and affordability


Digitisation Requests

If you require extracts that we only hold in print and are covered by the CLA Licence, we can provide fully accessible digitisations. These are stored online, and the links will be added to your reading list for your students to access easily. 

• To request an item for purchase, add it to your reading list and then click on it to open the full information.

• Then select "Request Digitisation" from near the bottom of the item. 

A form for submitting a digitisation request, asking for chapter information, page numbers and the number of participants on the course.

• Complete the form that pops up. The more information provided the faster we can process the digitisation.

• Hit "Send". We will be in touch if there is an issue with the request, otherwise the digitisation will be added to the item in your reading list. 

Step 6. Publishing your reading list

The default publication status for all reading lists is set to Draft. To make the list visible to students, it is necessary to change the status to Published.

To do this, simply click "My list is ready" from the banner at the top of the page. 

By default, all published lists will be openly available to anyone via the University’s Leganto webpage. This includes people outside of the University. If you require your reading list to be restricted to students registered on a course, please email library@abdn.ac.uk

All reading lists left in draft will be automatically published by the Reading List Service on the third week of teaching each term.

Help and support 

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: 

All our guidance materials are regularly updated to reflect any changes or as issues are raised. Additional training materials will be published throughout the academic year. 

Reading List Team, August 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use Leganto?

If you create your reading list in Leganto, you gain access to our reading list service fund. This means we will purchase essential teaching materials for courses without having to dip into departmental budgets.

The earlier reading lists are created and purchase requests made, the more likely it is for the material to be in place for the start of term, with the Library team aiming to get everything processed as quickly as possible.  

If we are unable to acquire a digital copy, we try to purchase two printed copies from which a fully accessible digitisation can be created for your students benefit. These items should be covered by the CLA licence which allows 10% or a chapter to be accessed electronically from your reading list. 

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.

Your students will also 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.

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. 

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 licenses 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.

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.