The Embedded Librarian: Integrating Library Resources into Course Management Systems Emily Daly Instruction & Outreach Librarian Perkins Library, Duke University

This session Background and history How we’ve gotten where we are Technical components Benefits Evaluation Questions and discussion

Why become embedded? Students want library resources online, at their fingertips (surprise!) Students don’t know what the library offers We want to be where our students are, at their points of need  70% of Duke courses use Blackboard; led us to include “Ask a Librarian”

Ask a Librarian

Becoming embedded… Ideal scenario was proposed – how do we turn vision into a more global reality? Form a committee… Librarians in Blackboard was born Fall 2007: Pilot

Library Links

Library Links to Library Guides Spring 2008: Brought more librarians on board Subject Portals Task Force formed, recommended purchase of LibGuides Fall 2008: Natural to transition from Bb interface to LibGuides interface

Library Guides

Course-specific Library Guide

From manual to automated By middle of Fall 2008, realized that process is NOT scalable, began exploring automation Spring 2009: “Library Guides” automatically appeared in EVERY course site

How? User clicks on “Library Guides” Javascript redirects user to an on-the- fly URL with Bb variable (subject code) URL points to django database Database reads the URL and matches variable to LibGuide/webpage for that subject code New URL placed in “Library Guides”

Benefits of method Flexible – ANY URL may be placed in the database (LibGuide, Library website, list of databases) Dynamic – URLs in django database may be changed at any point Comprehensive – EVERY site at Duke now has “Library Guides” button

Task Force asked subject librarians to provide URLs for 260 subject codes Included professional libraries By start of Spring 2009, had URLs for 68% of all subject codes Have process – need content!

Subject-specific Library Guide

“Default” Library Guide

Using the django database Let’s try it out…out

Using the django database

Informing faculty of project

Benefits to being embedded Increased and enhanced collaboration with faculty and students Access to students’ syllabi, assignments and course readings Made privy to course communication ( , announcements)

Unexpected benefit Has led to increased collaboration with Duke’s Writing Studio

Writing Studio Links

Evaluated our efforts at every step of the way Encourage librarians to continue to become coursebuilders in course sites Encourage librarians to continue to develop/enhance subject guides Maintain, sustain, assess

Next steps Committee will formally disband in June Representative will continue to support embedded librarians and maintain django database Will continue to evaluate effectiveness of program

Acknowledgements Special thanks to the following: Librarians in Blackboard and Subject Portals Task Force LibGuides and Django Project Instruction & Outreach Department Former AUL Tom Wall, who envisioned this project and formed Librarians in Blackboard committee

Show and tell What are you doing at your institutions? Questions?

Stay in touch! Emily Daly Instruction and Outreach Librarian