LITS Faculty Guide: 2020-2021 FIT

In order to equitably meet the needs of students learning both remotely and on campus, library course reserves will be a digital only collection this year. The APG recommends that all 2020-2021 course materials be electronically accessible to all students. LITS supports locating, purchasing, and making course materials available electronically. PLEASE NOTE: Not all materials are available in a digital format available for library purchase. LITS can suggest alternatives when a title is not available online.

Recommendations 

• Submit your required course materials via my.mtholyoke as early as possible.
  • LITS staff will assess the online availability to purchase an electronic version, scan where necessary and possible, and let you know if a title is not scannable or available digitally. These steps take time, and we anticipate more requests than usual. Therefore, please submit your required course materials by December 23rd for the first module of spring and February 1 for the second module. 
  • Submissions received after the beginning of the module will be processed as quickly as possible on a first-come, first-served basis. If you submit a request after classes have started, please allow at least 7 days before assigning the material.
  • Specify exactly what part of a book will be assigned for a course if you are not using the entirety of a text.
     
• Submit your requests for supplemental readings and materials (e.g. book chapters, articles, etc.) via ARES as early as possible.
  • LITS’ practice is to readily scan a single chapter of a book, a single article from a journal or newspaper, and non-copyrighted material, such as exams, lecture notes, syllabi or U.S. government publications.  
  • You have the option of providing a “needed by” date when you submit your ARES request. Utilizing this option will help LITS staff prioritize tasks and ensure that essential materials are available when you need them.
     
• Use what the library already has available online.  
  • LITS has a vast collection of e-books available through the library catalog. Search the library catalog or discover for a topic or item, then limit the source or format type to e-book. Mount Holyoke users have access to e-books listed as Mount Holyoke (MH) or Five College (FC) resources.
     
• Submit your requests for videos (films, documentaries, TV episodes, etc.) via ARES, even if you have streamed the video in a previous semester.
  • Some films have short-term licenses (e.g., films in Kanopy) that must be renewed in order to ensure access for the entire semester. If you have questions, please contact libcirc@mtholyoke.edu. Exceptions are films from these digital film collections that you can link to on your own:

    • Dance in Video

    • Digital Theatre+

    • Jacobs Pillow Dance Stream

    • National Theatre Collection

    • Naxos Video Library (music, dance)

• Be prepared to investigate alternatives.
  • If LITS is unable to procure digital access to a title, consider alternatives. For example: use a scannable portion of a book, find an alternative book, or use a collection of articles, chapters, and essays available electronically. Reach out to researchservices-g@mtholyoke.edu for support should you need it. 

Challenges To Be Aware Of

• Many e-textbook publishers provided free access to their titles last spring in light of the public health crisis. Most of these offers for free access have ended and will not continue into the upcoming academic year.
• Textbooks and contemporary fiction can be particularly difficult to find in digital format. 
• Copyright law still applies. Therefore, LITS cannot legally scan and make entire books available. 
• LITS cannot purchase individual online textbooks for individual students, nor provide individual, one-time access codes for online textbooks. 
• Access to library e-books is often limited to a certain number of simultaneous users. LITS purchases unlimited access whenever possible, but some publishers consistently limit e-books to 1 or 3 users at a time.

In addition to required course readings, students may need access to other library resources in order to complete assignments and projects. It can be challenging to understand what library resources are available, especially as local, state, and federal guidelines continue to evolve. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Research Services is an important resources! Here are some guiding principles about availability of library resources:

1. In general, access to electronic journal articles is reliable. LITS continues subscriptions to many electronic journals and databases so that you can find articles. Use Discover, Databases A-Z, and Journal Locator to find journals and articles.
2. We have been providing scans of portions of books, but we cannot scan entire books that are protected by copyright laws. Instead, talk with Research Services about alternatives.
3. Use interlibrary loan to request scans of LITS print materials (e.g., book chapters, articles from print journals)
4. We purchase ebooks, but many publishers do not offer ebook versions for academic libraries. We cannot request ebook access via interlibrary loan.
5. You can request print books from the Five Colleges, then arrange to pick up the item at MHC.
6. Many academic libraries are not lending print books at this time so access via interlibrary loan may be limited.
7. Massachusetts residences and anyone working or attending school in MA are eligible for a Boston Public Library eCard, which provides access to streaming media services (e.g., Kanopy) and popular ebook services (e.g., OverDrive). MHC students and employees should use MHC as their address.
8. Via CW MARS, central and western MA residents can access popular ebooks (OverDrive and Libby apps).

Research Services can support your teaching and student research in a variety of ways:

1. We can talk with you about assignments to ensure that students have access to any needed library resources.
2. We can meet with your class to talk through how to conduct research during this challenging, changing time.
3. You can refer students to us for one-on-one consultations about their assignments or projects.
4. You can direct students to our research guides and research tutorials on Moodle.