Readings Online
Readings Online allows staff to add, organise and control their readings and ensures copyright compliance. Access to Readings Online is seamless via your LMS (Canvas) subject page.
To get started Select First Steps Guide from the top ribbon.
Why use Readings Online?
To manage risk and be copyright compliant, staff must use Readings Online when providing access to PDFs of subject readings.
Readings Online can be used to provide students with access to Journal Articles, Books, Book Chapters and Book Excepts. In addition to adding links to websites, staff can also upload images, sound recordings music and video clips.
Benefits of using the service
- Provides an easy-to-use, quick access interface for students.
- Easy reuse of the reading lists in the following years.
- Enables staff to deliver a consistent experience for students.
- Provides readings in an accessible format.
- Provides statistics on student access and use of each reading material.
First Steps Guide
Follow these simple steps to get started.
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1. Link Readings Online to your LMS
The first time you use Readings Online for your subject, you will need to create a link between your LMS subject and the Readings Online database. You may also need to recreate the link when you get a new LMS subject at the beginning of the year or semester.
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2. Create a new reading list (incl. rollover)
The first time you use Readings Online for your subject, you will create a new reading list which will be used for a specified/particular teaching period (eg Semester 1).
If you are returning to Readings Online, follow the same process to prepare for your next teaching period. This process is now simplified and replaces the previous rollover process.
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3. Add your readings
Follow these simple steps to link to electronic content from the Library’s databases and websites, or to upload a PDF of a hard-copy reading.
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4. Manage your reading list
Once you have created your reading list, you can organise your readings; tag, group and order readings for your students and hide readings and reading lists that you don't want to make available to students.
FAQ
If you have a question we have not answered here please submit a support request with the details of your question and include a screen shot where possible of any errors you encounter.
General Advice Subject Content Student Issues Browser Issues
General Advice
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Guidelines
- For faster access link to online content where possible.
- Print content should be scanned and supplied as a PDF. Do not upload PDFs obtained through the library databases. Instead, use links to electronic journal articles and eBooks when submitting readings.
- Avoid using the 'Locate' option when submitting readings as this may delay making your readings available to your students.
- Add new & roll over existing readings as soon as possible before the start of semester to allow for copyright review.
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Copyright
Academic staff are responsible for ensuring that all material used for teaching is copyright compliant. The Readings Online software manages copyright compliance on behalf of academic staff and ensures that teaching material complies with the requirements of the Part VA and Part VB statutory licences.
Readings Online staff will:
- Check readings to make sure that they comply with the limits permitted under the Part VA and Part VB licences
- Manage the reporting requirements for material used under the licences. If you use Readings Online, you do not need to register your teaching material separately with the Copyright Office
- Ensure material is correctly and fully cited. This is a legal requirement under copyright.
- Ensure that the appropriate copyright warning notices are included on teaching material
Readings Online helps the University meet its copyright obligations, while making it quicker and easier for academic staff to make teaching material available to students.
For more information on using copyright material for teaching, refer to Copyright and Teaching or contact the Copyright Office.
Subject content
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How do I find online content for use in Readings Online?
Online content for Readings Online can be located from many sources. We recommend starting with the Library's Discovery search. For information on how to search in Discovery see the Library's Discovery LibGuide.
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I want to link to a video, what should I do?
To link to an online video, go to Readings Online from your LMS subject, and use the 'Add - new website reading' option. For more information see our 'How to' guide Adding individual readings to Readings Online
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Can journal articles and book chapters obtained via Document Delivery or Inter Library Loan be used in Readings Online?
Yes. The articles or chapters will be subject to the same Copyright rules as other readings, and additionally must be requested by a staff member involved in the delivery of the subject where they will be used.
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How can I delete a reading from Readings Online?
To delete any reading from a reading list, use the red trashcan icon on the right of the reading:
You will see a warning notice that the reading will no longer be available on the list. To continue, click yes:
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How can I edit a reading in Readings Online?
Editing can only be done by Readings Online staff. To request changes to your readings, please send an email containing your subject code, title of the reading and changes you would like made to readings-online@unimelb.edu.au.
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Can I link to Harvard Business Review articles and cases in Readings Online?
Harvard Business Review only allows links to online articles and cases created using their Harvard Business Publishing database for use in Readings Online or the LMS. All teaching staff can access this database and create links for use in Readings Online. There is a guide for teaching staff that will help you with the link creation process.
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Can I copy my readings from one subject to create a reading list for a different subject?
You cannot copy a subject's reading list, however you can export a subject's reading list and then import that file into another subject to create a reading list.
- To export your readings for a subject see our guide How to export your Readings Online collection (PDF) to export your readings as a RIS file
- To import this RIS file and create readings for another subject see our guide Adding readings to Readings Online using RIS files (PDF)
If you would like to edit the RIS file before importing the readings to Readings Online, import it into your citation manager, edit your readings and then export the readings from there. To import the updated RIS file to a subject in Readings Online see our guide Adding readings to Readings Online using RIS files (PDF) .
Student Issues
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Useful Links
LMS support for students
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I'm a student and I can't find Readings Online for my subject. What should I do?
Readings Online is accessed through your subject in the LMS, via a Readings Online link from the subject menu or content pages. If you cannot find a link to Readings Online, please contact a member of the teaching staff for your subject and confirm with them if they are using Readings Online.
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I've found a broken link in Readings Online. What should I do?
If you find a broken link in Readings Online, report the problem by sending an email to readings-online@unimelb.edu.au. Please include the following information: subject code, the title of the reading, an explanation of the error and, if possible, screen shots of the page you started on and the error you encountered.
Browser Issues
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Useful Links
Browser
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Does Readings Online work with my web browser?
Readings Online works with the latest versions of the following web browsers: For PC - Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer. For Mac - Chrome, Firefox
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Why isn't the Readings Online link in my LMS subject working?
Accessing Readings Online through your LMS subject page requires internet browsers to have the cookies option enabled. Please see the following LMS Support page for instructions on how to enable cookies for your specific browser.
Readings Online offers support with:
- Rolling over existing reading lists
- Creating new reading lists
- Embedding readings into Canvas modules
- One on one or group training
- Troubleshooting and resolving problems
- Editing reading metadata such as spelling errors, dates, and author information
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Staff user guides
Support user guides
Other support user guides
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Videos & Workshops
Register for a workshop on Readings Online management, or watch a class recording, or video tutorial.
Workshop registrations
From time to time the library offers workshops on Readings Online management, advertised on the Workshops and Tours page.
Webinar recordings
View recordings of previous library webinars on Readings Online management and pick up skills in your own time.
Video tutorials
View quick video tutorials on specific functions for Readings Online management.
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News & Events
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Key features
New features have been implemented for Readings Online. These include:
- A simpler process for reusing items in your reading list for a new teaching period.
- Multiple reading lists – have different lists for different teaching periods, e.g. Semester 1/Intensive.
- Apply a teaching period or custom dates to the whole reading list, rather than entering for each reading.
- Add music, sound recordings, films and images to your reading list (copyright permitting).
- Improved features for managing readings lists including the ability to hide readings from students.
- Student view – preview what your students will see.
- Removal of the unit library (we will migrate these resources for you).
To find out more about the new features, you can attend an information session during June and July. Click the button below to view and register for an upcoming session:
Readings Online Information Sessions
Reusing items for a new teaching period
Readings are only available for a specified period, such as a semester. Previously, at the start of a new semester or teaching period, expired readings had to be rolled over to make them active again and available to students. Each reading had to be rolled over individually as there was no option available to roll over all readings in a list.
A new feature has been created that allows you to copy an existing list and use it for a different teaching period. You can copy the whole list or selected readings. Once copied into the new list, readings are automatically reactivated for the new teaching period.
Further details on Creating new reading lists will be published on 4 July 2018. If you would like more information, please contact Readings Online.
Multiple reading lists
You can now have multiple readings lists for the same subject. For example, this means that if you are teaching a subject for as both an intensive and semester, you can have a different reading list for each teaching period.
Further details on Creating multiple lists will be published on 4 July 2018. If you would like more information, please contact Readings Online.
Apply dates for whole reading lists
Readings are only made available to students for specified date, e.g. Semester 1. You can now apply a date for the whole reading list when creating it. You can select from predefined dates, which match the most common teaching periods, or create a custom date period if the predefined dates are not suitable. This date will then apply to all reading rather than entering a date for each individual reading.
Further details on Creating new reading lists will be published on 4 July 2018. If you would like more information, please contact Readings Online.
Adding music, sound recordings, films and images
Music and other sound recordings, films and images can now be uploaded to Readings Online. Previously, links to these resources could be uploaded but they were treated as websites which meant that the citations were not always complete or in the correct format. There are new templates for sound recordings and visual resources (films and images) so that correct citations will be displayed. The new templates also mean that copies of sound recordings, films and images can be uploaded (copyright permitting) if the resource is not available online.
More information on adding sound recordings and visual resources will be available soon.
Managing reading lists
There are several new features to make it easier to organize and manage your readings. These include:
- Expand All and Collapse All – If your readings are organized in groups, expand all will open all group folders displaying all readings within the group. Collapse all will close all the group folders. You can open individual group folders by click on the check box or the folder name.
- Selecting groups or multiple readings – You can select all the readings within in group with a single click. You can also select multiple readings from the same different groups to move in bulk.
- Hide readings – You can hide readings that you do not want your students to see.
- Improved drag and drop for arranging readings.
Further details on Managing readings lists will be published on 4 July 2018. If you would like more information, please contact Readings Online.
Student view
Student views allows you to preview the reading as a student will view. Click on Student in the task bar to open student view.
Removal of the unit library
The unit library was used to remove or delete readings either not required for the upcoming teaching period or no longer required at all. Readings in the unit library could be moved back to the main reading list if required later. The new hide feature performs the same function and the unit library feature has been removed.
Existing unit libraries will be migrated by Readings Online as part of the upgrade. The unit library will appear as a group in your reading list. Readings can then be included in a new reading list if required for teaching.
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Demonstration Subject
The Readings Online Demonstration Subject allows you to explore our fictional LMS subject about polar bears.
Polar bear jumping on fast ice by Arturo de Frias Marques CC BY-SA 4.0 You will see how Readings Online integrates with the LMS to provide students with a well presented reading list. Readings Online also takes all of the difficulty out of ensuring your readings are copyright compliant.
Staff are able to self-enrol in this subject to explore at a time suitable to you.
- Log into your LMS account, then
- Click our self enrol link and select 'Submit'.
To fully experiment with this system, staff can create Readings Online in their LMS playpen following our guide to setting up Readings Online in the LMS. Any content created in a Readings Online playpen can be migrated to subject spaces by contacting Readings Online.
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Current system issues
Known Issues:
Mark the date:
Readings Online
Please submit a support request with the details of your question and include a screen shot where possible of any errors you encounter.
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Phone : 8344 8069
Readings Online Postal Address
- Postal Address
- Readings Online
Level 4, Baillieu Library
University of Melbourne 3010
VIC Australia