Reprinted with permission from Library Journal

Managing the provision of course reading materials and ensuring access to these materials for all students, either in print or electronically, can be challenging. Especially in large Universities where there may not be a single process for providing the Library with oversight of course reading lists.

For instance, when academic teaching staff provides access to a reading list via a Learning Management System (LMS) or course handbook, library staff may not routinely have visibility of these lists and in some cases may not have been consulted to check that all the required materials are readily available. As a result, libraries can lack oversight of what materials are being used in teaching at a university which may lead to library collections not meeting students’ expectations or existing collections potentially being underused. Students may also struggle to find the materials they need or must wait to get access.