“How do I add a digitised reading to my online reading list?” is one of our most frequently asked questions.

Many core texts you are able to add yourself, where UCL already subscribes to the full text. Bookmark these types of resources into your reading list in the usual way:

• E-journal articles
• e-books
• Radio or TV programmes

If there is a key reading that you would like to make available, such as a chapter of a book with no existing online version, then the TLSS can help.  The TLSS manages UCL’s CLA licence which enables us to digitise readings within certain limits.  Send us a photocopy or pdf of the extract with a cover sheet.  We will:

• Confirm receipt and give you an estimated timescale
• Copyright check the reading and fulfil the technical and reporting requirements of the licence
• Digitise and upload the reading. Highlight to students that the reading is digitised using the ‘student note’.
• Email to notify you when the reading is available on the online reading list.

Using this route will ensure your readings are copyright compliant and accessible to students alongside all their other core readings.  Find more information on our course readings webpages.

For a reminder on how to get started with your online reading list, see the Quick Guide, look at our FAQs or call in to a Wednesday afternoon drop-in session.

Congratulations to the winners of our competition to win BoB treats!

You may recall a UCL Library tweet (@UCLLibraries) in which we said the first online reading lists with links to BoB (Box of Broadcasts) would win some BoB treats.   René Weis, Jonathan Kendall and Suzanne Jago were the creative academics to first use BoB in their teaching, and added links to their online reading lists.  As René even has two BoB entries in one list, he is arguably the number one user of BoB in reading lists at UCL!

BoB is a broadcast service that UCL subscribes to.  It allows educational use of TV and radio programmes:

• Share a link to a programme with your students, add a link to an online reading list or even tweet it
• Save clips from programmes and create playlists
• Programmes can be viewed by any BoB users, which includes all registered students and staff at UCL (only inside the UK).
• Using BoB in your teaching helps stay copyright compliant

To add a link to a BoB programme in your online reading list:

• Log in to BoB using your UCL sign in and password
• Navigate to the programme you wish to add to your reading list and click on its title
• Press the reading lists button ‘Add to My Bookmarks’
• Change Resource Type from ‘Webpage’ to ‘Audio-visual document’ and add new fields to enrich the data e.g. date, publisher, author
• Click ‘Create & Add to List’ to add reading to a particular list and also your bookmarks OR click ‘Create’ to just save the resource in your bookmarks to add to your list at a future date
• ‘Save draft’ or ‘Publish’ changes to your reading list. Saving a draft will mean that no one but you can see the changes.  To enable students to see the updates, use ‘Publish’.  This makes the changes available immediately.

By the way, in case you’re itching to know – the winning entries are:

Do get in touch if we can help further!

UCL Library’s webpages have migrated and launched on Thursday 4th September.

As a result the address for many of our web pages has changed, so please remember to check and update your bookmarks.

For searching for, and accessing, your reading lists, the address remains the same: http://readinglists.ucl.ac.uk

Similarly the web address for Explore does not change. Explore is the library catalogue and resources page from which you can bookmark journals, books and ebooks to add to your reading list.

Here are some key addresses which have changed – the new ones are on the right in blue:

Most often, students find a reading list via their Moodle course, where they simply click on the reading list they need from the Library Resources block.  This block contains a link called ‘Reading list for…’ which links to the reading list with the same course code.

How do you set this up for them?  First request a reading list to be set up using the online form.  In Moodle, turn on the Library Resources block and it will automatically link to the reading list with the same course code.

Students can also access their reading list by searching:

• ReadingLists@UCL using course code or title, or even the academic’s name if this has been added
• the library catalogue Explore

Once students have found their online reading lists they can view them in different ways.

• Use the ‘View bibliography’ button to produce a list of all the readings in alphabetical order, which can be printed (click ‘Export’ then ‘Export to PDF’)…
• … use one of the drop-down boxes to select different citation styles. If a key citation style is missing, use the green ‘Feedback’ button to request another.
• The reading list can be printed out in its existing layout (sign in, select ‘Export’ and then ‘Export to PDF’)
• either of the above options can also be emailed to oneself, to save a copy.
• The ‘Export’ button enables exporting references in different formats: we will cover this in another post, and on our webpage guides.

If you have questions about any of this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Once a student has registered and started at UCL they will be able to access the reading lists for their courses on Moodle, through the Library Resources block.

The good news is they don’t need to wait until then: if you have created an online reading list for your course, even if more resources will be added in readiness for the new term, your students will be able to access this online now. Students can search by module code or title, or drill down through the hierarchy till they find their course, then click on their list.

They can see which readings are essential, or suggested for student purchase, so they can read or buy these before they arrive at UCL. Some links may take them to subscribed resources hidden behind a log-in page (e.g. an electronic version of a book or journal article, or TV programme) which they won’t be able to access until they have registered at UCL.

One department is already making use of this for their students by including details in their welcome letter. This is a great taster for their courses and the keen and enterprising student can get ahead with their reading.

For those thinking of coming to UCL in the future, our reading lists offer a fantastic shop window of what we have to offer those students who choose to learn with us.

Students can find more information on the reading list student page.

Did you see our recent blog and all the good things students had to say about our ReadingLists@UCL?

If that’s not enough to encourage you to start on yours now and get ahead of the flow ready for the new term, here’s a hard-to-beat offer: there is a little more TLSS project time available for inputting new reading lists should you find yourself becoming short of time.

The TLSS team are also more than happy to review your lists for you, should you prefer to create your own list then have someone check the links are stable and the resources are in the library. To request a review, ‘Publish’ your list and you will be given the option to also click ‘Request review’.

To make the most of these services please email any new reading lists to readinglists@ucl.ac.uk or click the ‘Request review’ button.

We have been busy updating the TLSS reading lists web pages.  Have a look at our ReadingLists@UCL home page to see the new content we have uploaded.

Do you know how to set up a reading list?  If you need a reminder on how to use your lists, here is a ‘Quick Guide’.  If you can’t remember, here is how to add your bookmarking button.  We have also added a few new FAQs to help you and your students get the most out of your reading lists.

Are you a member of a support staff team who works on reading lists, or would like to know more about them?  We now have a new page of FAQs to help support staff answer those niggly questions we have been asked most often.

If you have any other queries or would like some help or refresher training, please email us: readinglists@ucl.ac.uk