Information ServicesDigital Library Support and Virtual Learning

Institutional Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Support

The Library can help provide information content to teaching staff who are engaged in e-learning.

These guidelines from the University of Strathclyde Library service consist of guidance on general principles to do with best practice in information use. The Library does not offer technical support per se in use of a VLE. This support comes from elsewhere. Nor does it offer to author VLE materials, as this is the role of departmental staff.

Below, we detail practical ways we can facilitate the presentation and appropriate use of information resources within a VLE.

You may want to create your own pages made up of URLs of Library materials (ejournals, ebooks etc.).

Where material is not catalogued by the Library, then you'll have to create and maintain your own lists of such non-Library e-journals (or any other equivalent e-resource which is not catalogued in SUPrimo).

The digitisation service can digitise items for teaching purposes. That is if the item is not already available in electronic format. The request must conform to the Copyright Licnesing Agency (CLA) licence conditions.

The Scanning Service can also offer advice. This advice would relate to the legal sourcing or acquisition of digital items. These items would not be available through the Library funded resources. They would also not meet the conditions of the CLA licence.

Copyright has always been an important issue in library and information work.

There are good sources of copyright advice available to you at Strathclyde.

In addition, the Library staff have developed professional expertise in traditional copyright over many years. This helps us to address similar issues in the digital information environment. Through the Scanning Service, we can advise academic staff on the process of digital rights clearance.

Copyright enforcement agencies, such as the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), have a statutory right to inspect all digital materials in a secure VLE. It's important that all digital materials mounted within Myplace (and anywhere else) at Strathclyde have an audit trail of rights clearance.

The Assistive Technology Advisers in the Disability & Wellbeing Service are the main source of advice on creating accessible electronic learning media. However, the Library does have a role here as well.

All of the Library’s electronic information services are subject to the demands of the Disability Discrimination Act and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act.

This gives you an advantage if you use the Library’s digital resources as an integral part of your teaching. We assess these materials in relation to their compliance. The Library is in a good position to give advice on how its materials can be used to promote accessible e-learning provision by means of a VLE.