Old Dominion University Libraries - Library Services

Using Blackboard to Post Reserve Reading Materials

As of August 26, 2006, the University Libraries ended their electronic reserves program for the following reasons:

Security: Blackboard provides additional network security for students and faculty (it is limited to students in the class).

Convenience: Blackboard allows a more convenient method for faculty to distribute teaching materials (scanned pdfs can be posted directly to Blackboard) and for students to retrieve materials (all class materials will be available through Blackboard).

Book reserves: The Library's reserve book collection and operation is still in effect. See http://www.lib.odu.edu/ereserves/reserves-intro.htm for more details. If you have any questions or comments about the library's reserve service, please contact Wayne Burton, Head of Access Services at 3-4174 or e-mail your questions and comments to wburton@odu.edu

Using Blackboard

A Blackboard account and assistance with Blackboard are available from the Center for Learning Technologies. (ext. 3-3172). More information about Blackboard can be found at http://www.clt.odu.edu/bb/

Preparing and posting materials to Blackboard

Option 1: Link Directly

Many of the Library’s databases and electronic journal collections offer fulltext articles that you can simply link to, without scanning.

Search the journal title (not article title) using “Journals, magazines & newspapers” on the library’s Website.

If you find that the article is available electronically, you may provide a link from your Blackboard or other Web site to the item by copying and pasting the URL.
Look for the "stable" or "persistent" URL or "digital object identifier (DOI)" for the article either in the citation or at the bottom of the article. Each database is different. For information about specific databases, see http://www.lib.odu.edu/services/faculty/fulltextlinking.htm

Please Note: For offcampus access, you’ll need to precede the article URL with the library's proxy server info: http://proxy.lib.odu.edu/login?url=

Option 2: Scan

Scan a document using the copier/scanner available in most academic departments. After scanning, have the pdf emailed to you so that you can keep a copy, and then post the copy to Blackboard. See: http://occs.odu.edu/printing/copycentral/scantoemail.shtml

OR, scan a document using Adobe Acrobat software (scanners are available in the Library’s Digital Services Center or CLT Faculty Development Lab, 411 Gornto).

OR, use the Library Photocopy Service: for $.10/page (Department Charge only), the Library Photocopy Service will scan materials and email them to you. Ask if your department has an account.

Option 3: Re-use E-Reserve items (if copyright compliant-- see below for copyright guidelines)

The library has copied current e-reserve material to a CD which can be used to relocate files to your Blackboard course. For a limited time you can either pick up the CD of your current reserves at the Circulation Services desk until September 8, 2006, or wait until it is mailed to you after that date. If there are any problems with the CD or the files, contact Robert Stone rstone@odu.edu or ext. 3-5534 by September 22nd.

CLT can assist with posting materials to Blackboard.

Copyright Guidelines

“Fair use” provisions of Copyright Law allow faculty to make reading materials available to students. Faculty are responsible for copyright compliance and can use the following information as a guideline.

* If you are making direct links to articles available electronically through the Library’s databases, copyright is not an issue.

* In general, copyright permission is not needed for sample exams, lecture notes, government publications, course notes, personal photographs, or other unpublished writings of the faculty member posting materials.

* If you are scanning materials, copyright permission should be obtained for the following:

Multiple articles or chapters copied from one book or journal (rule of thumb: do not use more than 10-15% of a book or journal issue).
Articles or chapters used for more than one simultaneous semester.
Consumable works (standardized tests, exercises, workbooks or other commercially available materials)
Student work
Any material clearly indicating that permission is required. (A signed statement by copyright holder granting permission to use should be retained by faculty member

* Material must be accessible only by students in the class -- placing materials on Blackboard will ensure this.

* A copyright statement should be included on Blackboard sites that include copyrighted materials:

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproduction of copyrighted material… the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user … uses a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. No further transmission or electronic distribution of this material is permitted.

The University provides more information about copyright: http://web.odu.edu/ao/research/services/copyright management.html. If in doubt, you should probably seek permission. The Center for Learning Technologies provides a form to assist faculty with permissions: http://clt.odu.edu/ofo/online.php?src=copyright (Please note that the Library will no longer obtain copyright permission, nor assume the costs from the Copyright Clearance Center for materials placed on Blackboard that may exceed fair use.)

For assistance with seeking copyright, contact James D. Wright, Associate University Counsel, Old Dominion University jdwright@odu.edu