Answered By: Nadia Woods
Last Updated: Jan 08, 2025     Views: 165

There are many ways in which you can use your reading list to communicate with your students to further enhance their experience of your module and teaching sessions.

You can also use your lists to communicate directly with the Library to ensure that they know what resources you need and order them in the right amount and format for you.

 

Reading Lists are a quick and effective way to help you to:

  • Signpost to your students the reading materials they will need for their studies,
  • Provide students with further information about your teaching plans and reading materials, and
  • Ensure that your students can find and access their reading materials 

 

A reading list’s design will often depend on what is best to suit the teaching on each module, so they may look different in structure from module to module.

When creating your reading list, you can design it to best suit you.

 

The following tips can help you get the most out of the reading lists you create.

You will find the Navigation bar at the top of your reading list contents. As you scroll down, this bar will remain at the top of your reading list.

 

There are two main ways to help you find items on your list:

  • The Table of Contents menu, and
  • The Search bar

 

Table of Contents menu

You can use the Table of Contents menu for easy navigation between the different sections and subsections of your reading list.

Just open the drop-down menu and select a section or subsection title to jump to that part of your list.

You will be unable to use your ‘Table of Contents’ menu while your list is filtered.

Red arrow pointing to Table of contents tab

 

Search bar

The search bar is a mini search engine that helps you find items on your reading list by their title.

Your reading list will filter to show you the items which match the title you wish to find, as well as the section(s) of your reading list that the item is in.

A ‘List filtered by’ bar will appear below your navigation bar when the list is filtered. To clear your Search filter, select the ‘Clear Search’ button.

Red arrow pointing to the filter search bar on the right

You will find the filtering options in the Navigation bar at the top of your reading list contents. As you scroll down, this bar will remain at the top of your reading list.

 

There are two main ways you can filter items on your list, by using:

  • The Type menu, and
  • The Filter menu

 

Type menu

You can use the Type menu to filter your reading list to only show items of a particular resource type.

Just open the drop-down menu and select on a Type option to filter your list.

Red arrow pointing to 'Type all' button

A ‘List filtered by’ bar will appear below your navigation bar when the list is filtered. To quickly clear your filters from your list, select the ‘Clear Filter’ button.

You will be unable to use your ‘Table of Contents’ menu while your list is filtered.

 

Filter menu

The Filter menu helps you filter your reading list to only show the items which match a specific category.

These options include whether a resource has a particular Format(Physical/Online), Library Note, Digitisation and its status, or Importance assigned to it.

It will also show you how many items match these categories.

Just open the drop-down menu and select on a Filter option to show these items on your list.

Red arrow pointing to Filter All button

A ‘List filtered by’ bar will appear below your navigation bar when the list is filtered. To quickly clear your filters from your list, select the ‘Clear Filter’ button.

You will be unable to use your ‘Table of Contents’ menu while your list is filtered.

Your Navigation bar also has a menu to help you change the citation style of all the resources on your reading list.

Selecting a citation style for your reading list will automatically change all your bookmark titles so they will show in that style of citation.

Example of a title called EU law on a reading list

You can find information on creating reading list bibliographies in Can I create a bibliography of my reading list?

An Internal Note can be added to your reading list to help you communicate anything about your list that you would like the Library to know, to ensure that we can better support you with your module and teaching sessions.

This can be particularly useful if you wish to provide the Library with additional context on the list you have made, your teaching plans, or your students’ needs.

 

Adding an Internal Note to your list can help you let the Library know:

  • Whether Accessible copies of core texts are needed to support a student on a particular module
  • Whether there is a specific language in which you need your titles to be available
  • Whether a reading list has been made to support the teaching of part of a module, rather than for the module as a whole
  • Anything else you would like to communicate about your reading list

 

An Internal Note differs from Library Notes and Student Notes in that it is used to add a note to a whole list rather than individual items.

As its name suggests, the note is not intended to be viewed by students and is only visible to Reading List Editors and Library staff.

Once saved, the note is visible to the Library on the list itself and in the Reviews interface used by the Reading List Support team during your reading list review.

 

How to add your Internal Note

Red arrow pointing to Edit button and then red arrow showing 'Edit List details' in the drop down meny

  • A pop-up form will appear containing your list details
  • Add your Internal Note to the ‘Internal note’ box and ‘Save

Library Notes can be used to help you inform the Library about a request you would like fulfilled when your reading list is Reviewed by the Reading List Support team.

They are not visible to students and will be deleted by the Team once actioned.

 

Adding a Library Note to your items can help you let the Library know about:

  • New Titles you are requesting for your module and teaching sessions
  • Specific Format of a title you are requesting
  • New Edition of a title you are requesting
  • A resource for which you are having difficulty sourcing a copyright-approved version
  • A chapter or article you would like to be digitised, and
  • Anything you would like to communicate about a particular resource

For example: 

  • “17/07/2035: Please check if this is available as an eBook”; or
  • “26/01/2035: Please check if there is a newer edition of this title available”
  • etc 

 

How to add your Library Note

You can either add your Library Note while creating a new bookmark, using the ‘Create & Add’ form, or you can add one to any bookmark already on your reading list.

 

To add a Library Note to an item on your list:

Red arrow pointing to elipsis button on right and 'Note for Library' in the menu that follows

Student Notes can be used to help you provide your students with further information about a resource or your teaching plans for the item.

 

Adding a Student Note to your items can help you let students know of:

  • Any Book Chapters they should read for your module and teaching sessions
  • Additional Formats of a title added as separate bookmarks to your list
  • Digitised chapters or articles that have been requested and added to your list
  • Alternative Editions of a title added to your list, and
  • Anything else you would like to communicate about a particular resource

For example: 

  • “Online video also available on this list”
  • “A copy of this chapter is available to view online”
  • etc

 

How to add your Student Note

You can either add your Student Note while creating a new bookmark, using the ‘Create & Add’ form, or you can add one to any bookmark already on your reading list.

 

To add a Student Note to an item on your list:

Red arrow pointing to ellipsis button then Note for Students in corresponding menu

You can add an Importance to your resources as you create new bookmarks to add to your reading list, by using the ‘Create & Add to List’ button in your bookmarking extension form.

 

Assigning your reading list items with an Importance can help you to:

 

If you have already added your bookmarks or would like to change the Importance of your resources, you can assign their Importance on your reading list.

 

How to assign an Importance to an item on your reading list

  • Use the Search bar to find your item by its title
  • Select the ‘Importance not set’ button (near your item’s title)
  • Select the relevant Importance option from the drop-down menu
  • The button name will now show as the Importance you have assigned

Red arrows showing the Importance not set button and corresponding drop down menu

You can also follow these steps to change the Importance of a resource, by first selecting the ‘Key’, ‘Recommended’ or ‘Background’ button near your item’s title.

This will reveal the Importances drop-down menu with your other options.

 

How to know if a resource is missing an Importance

When you publish your reading list, you may receive a pop-up notification to let you know that you have items with an ‘Importance not set’.

If you do not receive this notification, you can also check whether any resources do not have an Importance.

 

To check whether all your items have an Importance:

  • Select the ‘Filter’ button on your navigation bar
  • Select ‘Importance not set’ from the drop-down menu

 

Your reading list will be filtered to only display the items missing an Importance.

You will also be able to see how many of your resources do not have an Importance assigned to them from the number listed in the ‘Filter’ drop-down menu.

Red arrow showing the Filter All button and corresponding drop down menu, with another red arrow pointing to Importance Not Set in drop down list

 

*Remember

Any resource that has an ‘Importance not set’ label will be treated as a ‘Recommended’ item during reading list reviews.

You can find more on the Importance definitions in What is the difference between Key, Recommended and Background items in Reading Lists?

*Remember

If you make any changes to your reading list, publish and send it for Review to ensure the Library knows what you need for your module and teaching sessions.

 

You can find more information on how to get the most from your lists in our Reading Lists guide.

If you have any technical queries, please contact the Reading List Support team.

If you would like help with structuring and designing your list, please contact your Liaison Librarian

 

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