Learning Objectives

• Add resources to classes manually and with the bookmarklet tool.

 

To Add Resources to a Class:

Before linking to an external resource, it is a best practice to first search the library’s online catalog (ISearch) to ensure the library does not already have the resource or other similar resources which can be used.

To add a resource from a website:

1. Go to the resource via your web browser.
2. Click the Add to My List bookmarklet.
3. A sidebar will appear with the resource information.
   1. If you would like to edit the information, click Edit.
   2. The bookmarklet will also compare the resource to the library’s resources and will show if the resource is available in the library, if enabled.
4. Click the Add to List button to add the resource to a class. 
5. Select the correct class from the drop-down. If you have previously saved classes (by selecting the heart icon), those classes will show at the top of the list. 
6. A confirmation will appear.
7. To see the resource you have added with the bookmarklet in the List Builder, refresh your browser for the resource to appear. 

Adding Resources from the Library Catalog or with a Template

1. Go to Staff > Lists > My Classes
2. Click Add Item and search your library collection. From here you can search your library catalog or add an item by selecting from one of the available templates.  
   1. To add an item from the library catalog, start typing a title, subject, or search term in the field that says "Find items to add to your resource list". To narrow the search to only a single library, include the library code along with your search term (for example, sloth DLFN, with DLFN being the library code). Hit Enter or click the magnifying glass. A list of results will appear. The results are sorted by Relevance but can be sorted by Title or Publication Date. 
      1. Click the arrow to find out more about the title, including the summary (if available) and item location(s). 
      2. Click the pencil to edit the entry.
      3. Check the box next to a title or select the + to add the title to a list. Select the list the item should be saved under. If there are section headings, you can save the title right to the appropriate section. 
   2. To add an item with a template, click Add New Item to begin to build the item entry manually. Or use the drop-down and select a resource type to get started. 
      1. If you did not select a Resource Type from the drop-down in the step above, select that now.
      2. Add a Title and any other important item information. The more specific, the better!
      3. Click Add to List when finished.

Adding Resources from ISearch

Resources can be added from the My Library tab in ISearch as well as from the other Research Resource tabs like Encyclopedias, Basic Sources, and more.

Adding Resources from the My Library tab

1. Navigate to ISearch.
2. Search for a title, author, or another subject term. A list of results will appear.
3. Click the Add to My List bookmark.
4. Check the boxes next to the titles you would like to add to your class or choose Select all. 
5. Click the Add All to List button to assign to a class.
6. Use the Select a List drop-down to choose from available classes. 
7. A confirmation will appear when the items have been added to the class list. 
8. To see the resource you have added with the bookmarklet in the List Builder, refresh your browser for the resource to appear.

Adding Resources from the Research Resources tabs within ISearch

1. After you have searched for a title, author, subject, etc...click View/Download to display the result details. 
2. Note the Permalink. You will need the permalink to link back to ISearch without being prompted to log in to anything. 
3. Copy the Permalink.
4. Click the Add to My List bookmarklet.
5. Click Edit when the bookmarklet information appears. 
6. Enter the permalink you copied in the URL field.
7. Click Add to List. 
8. Choose your list.
9. To see the resource you have added with the bookmarklet in the List Builder, refresh your browser for the resource to appear.

Another option is to save the resource without editing the permalink field and then logging in to BLUEcloud and editing the resource with the correct permalink afterward. Either way, please make sure you are using the permalink for any INFOhio electronic resource. 

Adding Resources from INFOhio's Quality Instructional Materials

INFOhio provides students, staff, and parents with access to quality instructional materials that can be easily shared in BLUEcloud Course Lists. Check out the post Sharing Premium Content From INFOhio: What Link Do I Use? for more information on how to directly link to this educational content. Examples of where to find links for resources like Capstone Interactive eBooks, the Digital Video Collection (DVC), Very Short Introductions, and many other resources are provided with directions and screenshots. Start linking to these resources today!

Organizing Resources within a Class List

Adding Sections

Structuring your class lists can look many different ways. However you decide to represent the material, sections can be used to help break up resources into the best configuration for teaching and learning. Keep in mind the first section of a list will be open by default when viewing the list in Student View. This will help students to understand that sections contain multiple resources and can be opened by clicking the triangle icon. 

To Add a Section:

1. Go to Staff > Lists > Classes and click the class you would like to edit.
2. Click the Add Section link at the top of the page.
3. Fill in the Title and Instructor Note, if needed.
4. Click the appropriate Save option.
5. Sections and resources can be reorganized by simply dragging and dropping the section or resource to its desired location. When using the bookmarklet, newly added resources will automatically be added to the bottom of the list and will need to be moved into their correct sections after the List Builder has been refreshed in the browser window. 
6. You can expand and collapse sections by clicking on the appropriate link or drop-down. This will allow you to see everything you have saved at one time.
7. To edit the name of a section, click the section title and edit.

List Management Statuses

While you are viewing or editing your class lists, you may notice statuses next to a resource. These statuses are an optional feature that library staff may choose to use for various needs. Depending on your access, you may or may not be able to edit these statuses. Library Staff will have those privileges. Students will not see these statuses. 

The status of "Unavailable" can be used to hide a resource from a list. The resource could need to be hidden for a variety of reasons - the item is unavailable, back-ordered, the librarian hasn't had a chance to review the material, etc...

It is a best practice to verify that all resources are in a "Ready" status or have been marked as "Unavailable" before posting the link to the live list.

To view or edit the status of a resource, 

1. Navigate to Staff > Lists > My Classes and click or search for the class you want and open the List Builder.
2. Click the delta or drop-down icon to open sections to view their corresponding resources. 
3. Click on a resource to edit the item information or change the status. 

Edit

Clicking Edit will open the Item Editor. You can add and remove item information as needed. Note that Resource Type and Title are required fields. Information such as Date Created, Created By, Date Modified, Modified By, and Item Status information can be found here as well. This will help to know who created a record and who last made changes to it. Click the Save or Cancel button when finished.

Change Status

A status can be changed by clicking the drop-down in the Actions box and then clicking Change Status. The following screenshot lists the available statuses that can be used. Keep in mind that the status of "Unavailable" hides the resource from the Student View of the list. 

The status will update when changed. 

Get Info

Using the Get Info tool, you can search the library catalog for any items that match the description of the item on a list. You can then view details about each matching item before selecting the closest or the most appropriate match. For example, you might specify a later edition or an ebook version of the same item. After selecting a matching item from the library catalog, you can subsequently update the item on the resource list using the selected item's details.

1. Once you've clicked Get Info, a search will initiate using the title and author or ISBN of the item selected on your list.
2. Results matching your initial item will appear. Review these items as they can potentially enhance your item record.
3. Select the item you would like to use and click Next. 
4. A detailed read-only view of the current item will display, followed by the fields from the record you just selected.
5. You can then modify the content in any of the fields or remove fields by clicking the corresponding X.
6. Click Finish to update the current item from your list with the information specified on the screen.

Staff Only Notes

Librarians, library staff, and teachers can enter administrative notes and correspondence within the BLUEcloud Course Lists List Builder. The notes are only viewable by administrative staff and do not appear in the student interface. These notes are accessible to all future BLUEcloud Admin, making it easier to review materials and make decisions about these resources efficiently. If a list has been added to a resource on a list, the Staff Notes button will appear at the top of the list builder page. Click the icon to access the message(s). 

To add a Staff Note:

1. Go to Staff> Lists > Classes or My Classes.
2. Open the List Builder by selecting a list.
3. Select the resource that you would like to add a Staff Note.
4. On the Item Details panel, click the Staff Notes icon or choose Actions > Staff Notes. 
5. Type a note in the box. 
6. Click the paper airplane icon to send.
7. The Staff Notes icon will display a red dot indicating that a note has been added. 
8. If a message needs to be deleted, hover over the message and click the X to delete. Library Staff can only delete their own messages. 

Adding Tags

Creators of a list can add tags to resources as a way to categorize or indicate the importance of that resource. The tag feature is found in the Item Details panel of the List Builder (Staff > Lists > Classes > Select a Class> Select a Resource). 

When adding a tag to an item, a list of suggested tags begins to appear as you type. The list of suggestions is updated automatically as new tags are added and include the tags from other course lists in the same class catalog. If no tags appear as you type, this means that no tags have been created yet or no tags have been created that match what you are typing. To delete a tag, click the X next to the tag you want to remove.

Tags can also be used in searches in Student View. 

Using the "Search this list" box, enter a tag and click the magnifying glass or hit Enter. If there is a match to the search term used, the resource will display below. 

If you prefer to use the bookmarklet tool to add resources, adding a tag is included in the item information that can be saved before you add a resource to a list. Locate the "Add a tag" box and enter tags as needed.

• Tags will save automatically after clicking Enter, clicking with your mouse outside of the tag box, or by tabbing outside of the box.
• Click the X next to a tag to remove it from the resource.

Adding tags will help to highlight important resources, help to keep lists organized, and provide students with another way to find the information they need. 

Reflecting On Your Learning

1. Using the bookmarklet tool, add the following resources and reflect on how easy or difficult it was to add the items using the bookmarklet.
   • a book from your library
   • an article from ISearch
   • a website of your choice
   • a video of your choice
2. Add a resource manually. Do you prefer the bookmarklet over manually adding resources? Why or why not?
3. Think about how you could set up a list with sections? What is your preferred method? All in one list? Due dates? Material types?
4. Note the statuses available. As a librarian, how could you use these statuses to keep track of resources?