Reading List Service

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. 

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".

• 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". 

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. 

• 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"

• 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"

• 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". 

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".

• 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!"

• 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"

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

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. 

• 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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.