[Web4lib] LMS/CMS and libraries

[JQ Johnson]

>I have two questions related to learning/course management systems  
>(e.g. WebCT, Blackboard, Sakai) and libraries.
> ...
>1. Does anyone know of an active mailing list or community resource 
>focusing on the intersection of these two entities?
>2. What institutions are taking a leadership role in this area 
>(integrating library resources and services in LMS environment)?

I can speak mostly of Blackboard, since we're a Bb licensee.  There are very
active WebCT and Blackboard users groups and discussion lists, though so far
as I know there aren't active subgroups that specifically address the
intersection of the CMS with libraries.  The main blackboard listservs
(blkbrd-l, bb-id, and bb-admin) all have a reasonable amount of traffic
related to this intersection.  There are routinely presentations about this
topic at Bb user group meetings, both national ug and regional ones.

I think it's fair to say that our library is one of the leaders in this
area.  We're unusual (though not unique -- quite a few other libraries, e.g.
Penn, immediately leap to my mind as being similar) in that we're a large
university whose campus CMS is managed by the Library and is tightly
integrated into library activities.

Some of the typical areas of integration include:
	- linking to licensed indices and full text from within the CMS
(ideally with single signon, durable links, and good documentation that
makes it easy for faculty)
	- linking to local digital library collections
	- integrated ereserves (treated either as a separate system linked
to from the CMS with SSO, or merged into the CMS itself)
	- providing training to faculty and students in the use of the CMS
for instruction
	- providing traditional BI and library instruction using the CMS
	- providing course-specific librarian-authored resources such as
subject guides for use within the CMS
	- licensing new resources such as text (reference universe with its
blackboard building block?), image (ArtStor?), or audio collections
(Napster?  Ruckus?  Apple Music Store?), with collection development
decisions that factor in ease of CMS integration
	- assisting faculty in locating learning objects and curricular
materials for use in their courses
	- bringing to bear library expertise on the hard problem of CMS
archival

We're doing all of those to some extent.  However, they barely scratch the
surface of possibilities.  For instance, since our library also manages
classroom technology (our Media Services Department), we consider it library
integration when we find new ways to integrate blackboard into the
classroom, e.g. by providing a bridge between blackboard and the software we
use to manage personal response systems (clickers); our library also
provides the technology support for IP interactive video used in distance ed
courses, so we integrate blackboard into that library distance ed support
activity; since my group does multimedia courseware production for faculty
as well as manage blackboard, we consider it library integration when we
build a learning object or assist a faculty member with digitizing a
resource for inclusion in her site; we also encourage our subject
specialists to actively market our blackboard service to their faculty
patrons; we have an information commons of sorts (our "Information
Technology Centers") that is the primary service point for students with
questions about how to use blackboard, and a faculty training facility that
is the primary service point on campus for instructors who want to learn how
to use blackboard in their teaching.

There are lots of things we're not doing yet at our Library.  Some things
we've discussed (and that some other libraries are already doing):
	- single signon between blackboard and our catalog/patron database
	- assistance for faculty in identifying and evaluating textbooks and
blackboard course cartridges
	- integration of anti-plagiarism software into the CMS
	- integration of an eportfolio system into the CMS
	- tight integration or merger of computing help desks (including
blackboard support) with reference service
	- providing a copyright clearance center for faculty who need to
obtain rights to use copyrighted media in their CMS coursesites
	- etc.

JQ Johnson, Director                 Office: 115F Knight Library 
Center for Educational Technologies  mailto:jqj at darkwing.uoregon.edu
1299 University of Oregon            phone: 1-541-346-1746; -3485 fax
Eugene, OR 97403-1299                http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/