If you’ve been looking for ways to encourage students to know about and to use the well-designed and impeccably curated content from the Library, look no further. There are several new features in Blackboard Ultra that will bring library resources right to your course.

  1. To insert LibGuides, database searches, or the Plagiarism Course, log into your Blackboard account, select your course, and find “Books and Tools” on the right side of the page.
The “Books and Tools” feature is shown on the right tool bar of a course homepage.

2. Once you click on “Books and Tools”, several options will appear that you can scroll through. Scroll down until you see “LibGuides (Upstate)”. To add the LibGuides tool, click the small plus icon to the left of the tool.

The “LibGuides (Upstate)” link and the plus icon that will appear in the “Books and Tools” menu.

3. Once you click the plus icon, the tool will appear in your course content section of your Blackboard course. Once you’ve done that, the icon for the LibGuides will be available to students enrolled in your course.

The “LibGuide” link once it has been added to Blackboard Course Content.

4. From there, students can click the link to access the Plagiarism Prevention course or the A-Z Database list. The can also see today’s library hours in case they want to swing by or request information electronically.

Content students will see include the Plagiarism course link and the A-Z Database List when they click on “LibGuide”.

5. You can also add specific LibGuides to your course. Begin by clicking the purple plus icon in the Content area of the course OR in the specific module you’d like to add the LibGuide. Select “Content Market” from the drop down menu.

Another way to insert LibGuides into Blackboard Content occurs by clicking to the plus icon in the content or module sections of Ultra.

6. Scroll down until you see LibGuides (Upstate) and LibGuides-Single Course (Upstate). To get to the collection of LibGuides, click the small plus icon in the bottom right of the Libguides – Single Course (Upstate) panel.

This image shows the two libguide options that show up in content market place.

7. Once you add LibGuides-Single Course (Upstate) to your content or module, click the link to select the Libguide you’d like to add to the course.

The dropdown menus that will appear once “LibGuides – Single Course Upstate” is selected from the Content Market.

8. As you fill out the LibGuide content type, more drop down menus will populate. Once you’ve completed the selections, click the “Embed Content” box to add the specific LibGuide to your course content or module.

The drop down menus will expand as you enter more information. Then click blue “Embed Content” button.

9. Once you click “Embed Content”, you’ll be able to click on the LibGuides-Single Course link to go directly to the LibGuide you selected.

LibGuide link appears in the course (left image) and then an example of a LibGuide (right image).

10. Also consider embedding the “Ask a Librarian” feature into your course. Students then have the autonomy to ask for help, pursue their own research, and interact with USC Upstate’s library team from their favorite location on campus.

Most LibGuides are essentially interactive subject guides to research, writing, or other assignments for a particular course or program. They are often designed collaboratively between a professor and a librarian, and they pull together specific information, books and ebooks, databases, journals, articles, and videos about a topic or topics. They are especially helpful for students who are just learning about how to find current research, what counts for reliable sources, and seeking guidance on style like APA, MLA, and Chicago. LibGuides can also explore broad topics or raise awareness about particular resources for students, faculty, and staff. Explore some examples of USC Upstate LibGuides below:

  1. SPCH U430 – Communicating Difference in Social Institutions, Laura Karas
  2. POLI 370 – Introduction to Public Administration: Getting Started, Ann Merryman
  3. Art Education, Laura Karas
  4. Wellness Resource Guide, Tessie Holliday
  5. Religion, Mark Smith

If you’d like to create a LibGuide for your course or program, reach out to Laura Karas (karas@uscupstate.edu) at the library and get started today!