Editing the structure

Reading lists are formatted in two ways:

Sections

Sections are used to structure a reading list. They separate readings by week, topic, importance, or any other way that helps students understand what they are expected to read and when. You can create sub-sections within sections, enabling you to structure your list exactly as you want it.

Paragraphs

Paragraphs are used to add text to your reading list which isn't attached to any particular resource.

The video below shows you how to add sections and paragraphs to your list:

How to move sections

Once the sections for a reading list have been created, you can move them around the reading list.

This is useful if you need to move weekly teaching around, as you do not need to recreate the entire section.

The video below demonstrates how to move sections around. If you are struggling, please email libline@essex.ac.uk and we can help you.

How should I structure my list?

You can structure your list in whichever way best suits your course. Some ideas include:

• Week-by-week readings
• Readings by topic 
• Readings by importance
• Readings by resource type (book, journal article, webpages, videos)

Creating a structure is done by adding in sections as shown above.

Structure templates

There are templates for week by week structures if you would like to structure your lists in this way:

• Week-by-week structure for a full year module
• Week-by-week structure for an Autumn term module
• Week-by-week structure for a Spring term module

If you would like to make use of these structure email libline@essex.ac.uk and we can sort this out for you.

Adding a resource

Once you have added a book to a reading list using the 'Add Resource' button (as demonstrated in the 'Bookmarking' page of this library guide), the resource will appear on the reading list. 

The 'Add Resource' option can only be used to search for book resources to add to a reading list, or to add other resources that you have already bookmarked to your reading list. If you need to add other resources, i.e. journal articles, webpages, then please consult the 'Bookmarking' page of this library guide. 

The 'Add Resource' option also shows a list of your most recently bookmarked resources which can be useful if you want to add the same book to a reading list in multiple places, but don't want to search for the book multiple times. 

The video below demonstrates this:

Removing a resource

To remove a resource from your reading list, go to the list and and find the resource you want to remove. Select the icon with three dots on the right-hand side of the resource and select 'Delete'.

Deleting a resource from a reading list will remove the item from the reading list, but the bookmark you created for the item will still appear in your bookmarks folder if you want to add the item to a reading list again.

Importances

Importances indicate whether a resource is essential or non-essential reading. All essential readings on a reading list must have their importance set accordingly. This is so:

• Students know which of their readings are essential
• The library knows that electronic access will be required and can determine adequate purchasing
• The record for the module in the module directory accurately displays the essential readings for the module

Generally, essential readings are those you expect students to read for lectures, seminars, or other taught environments, and non-essential readings are those that develop further understanding of a topic.

If you want to indicate non-essential items on a reading list, you can use sections and sub-sections to structure a reading list by the importance of items, creating sub-sections with titles such as 'Essential Reading' and 'Further Reading'. These sub-sections can be nestled into weekly sections, giving your list a clear structure.

The video below goes through adding notes to, and setting the importance of, resources:

Student and Library Notes

You can add notes to individual items for either students or for the library.

Notes for students can be used to indicate which chapter(s) need to be read, if there are other editions of a book available, or to provide additional information about a resource.

Notes for the library can be used to let us know if you have added a book or a journal article that we do not have in the library. You can also use this to give us any information about an item that you think is important for us to know, i.e. if a chapter is only available in a specific edition of a book.

The video below goes through adding notes to, and setting the importance of, resources:

When you have finished editing your reading list, you need to publish it so that students can access the list.

Publishing the list also sends a review to the library so that we can make sure that the resources are available. The library will contact module supervisors directly where there are issues with resourcing any items on a reading list.

NB: As it takes time for the library to receive new material (particularly print items), please bear in mind that reading list material that needs to be ordered will not be available for students to access straight away.