Reflecting on a Webinar That Sparked Ideas
What started as a deep dive into Leganto’s capabilities turned into a conversation that revealed just how impactful collaboration, creativity, and shared purpose can be across academic institutions. “Unlock Your Library Impact with Leganto”, a recent session hosted by Ex Libris, was a compelling exchange of ideas, and a reminder of how collaborative and forward-thinking the academic library community truly is.
Led by Jessie Ransom, Director of Product for Leganto, the webinar served as a platform to explore the practical value of Leganto. It was a real and impactful conversation between two passionate academic librarians about how a reading list solution became a catalyst for transformation in their institutions. What became evident was the strong connection running through the dialogue: the joy of discovery, the pride of innovation, and the satisfaction of finally bridging long-standing gaps between the library and the classroom. If you’d like to see how the conversation unfolded and hear from the panelists directly, you can watch the full webinar here.
According to the panelists, Leganto is not just a library workflow tool. It’s a strategic asset that helps institutions save money, retain students, reduce workload, increase the impact of the library within the institution and deliver a modern learning experience—all while leveraging resources they already have.
If you’re new to Leganto, you can learn more about the platform here.
Two Institutions, One Mission
The conversation brought together Kristine Shrauger, Department Head, Document Delivery & Resource Sharing, University of Central Florida and Melissa Gomis, Chair, Collections Strategy & Open Scolarship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Two different institutions, both using Leganto in ways that reflect their unique cultures.
Kristine Shrauger described how her team embraced Leganto not just as a product, but as a philosophy. “We’re trying to connect the library to the classroom,” she said, “to save students money and make course materials accessible.”
She spoke with clarity and purpose: “We hired a Leganto librarian, but I call him the Lego librarian,” she noted humorously, “because he helps us build connections like blocks between the library and the classroom.”
Melissa Gomis added her perspective from the University of Nebraska: “There’s a push to support first generation students and ensure they graduate on time. Leganto helps us support students with easier access to materials.”
Course Materials, Redefined
A particularly insightful point was how both librarians expanded their thinking on what belongs in a reading list as they began to focus on the student and faculty perspective, rather than the library perspective. Initially focused on ebooks, Kristine’s team soon added YouTube links, website articles, even anatomical models for large anatomy classes. “We put the anatomy body parts into the Leganto pages,” she shared, “so students could access everything right from Canvas.”
This flexibility and comprehensiveness, combined with Leganto’s seamless integration with LMS platforms like Canvas, transformed their workflows and encouraged deeper faculty collaboration.
Enter the Syllabus Assistant: AI with Purpose
A key highlight was the introduction of the Leganto Syllabus Assistant, an AI-powered tool that simplifies how instructors build reading lists. Upload a syllabus and it automatically extracts and links to relevant content in the library’s collection. You can watch a short demo or watch a demo in the webinar here.
Currently, Leganto AI Syllabus Assistant is available for librarians, with instructor-facing access expected in September.
Our guests shared how they’re already using the tool in meaningful ways. Kristine Shrauger explained, “We’re testing the AI syllabus assistant […] to get more access and more reading lists going, even without faculty realizing it.”
Melissa Gomis also described its value in streamlining support: “We were asking instructors to send us their syllabi, and we used that to create lists for them. It helped us quickly identify low-cost options and purchase what was missing.”
She added that this process often opened new conversations with faculty, from requests for book chapters to questions about licensing specific materials. Having full access to the syllabus data made it easier for the library to know what to buy. As Melissa said, “It helped us quickly identify low-cost options and purchase what was missing.” She also shared that they used affordability statistics to make a case for acquiring additional resources. This kind of insight not only supports better collection decisions, but also reinforces the library’s value in broader institutional budgeting discussions.
The potential of the newly released syllabus assistant to reduce friction and embed the library more deeply in academic workflows was already apparent.
Collaboration Over Implementation
One of the most powerful takeaways from the webinar was the human connection behind Leganto’s success. Both speakers emphasized that meaningful adoption wasn’t driven by technology alone, it was rooted in collaboration. “I picked up the phone and reached out to peer institutions to show me what they were doing,” Kristine shared. “That’s how we learned, through community.”
This peer-driven momentum speaks to what makes this list management system so impactful: it doesn’t just streamline workflows, it builds bridges. From increased visibility into course materials to new opportunities for engagement, Leganto helps to empower libraries to become proactive, strategic partners in teaching and learning.
Don’t Miss the Full Conversation
If you’re an academic librarian, instructional designer, or anyone passionate about educational access, this webinar is highly recommended viewing. It’s an authentic conversation about real change happening in colleges and universities right now. You can watch the full session here to hear how your peers are enhancing learning and building stronger connections between libraries and classrooms.
👉 Request a demo of Leganto Syllabus Assistant
👉 Learn more about Leganto and explore the product
Leganto is not just a reading list tool – it significantly helps faculty engagement. By integrating seamlessly into learning management systems, Leganto empowers instructors and librarians to work together more effectively, streamlining the process of connecting students with the right course materials.
As highlighted by Jessie Ransom at the beginning of the webinar, Leganto’s role in the academic ecosystem extends far beyond content delivery—it fosters collaboration, academic support, and resource visibility.
