Embedding content into course sites using the LibGuides API

You’ve likely heard the adage that libraries should be where their users are – well, one place you can find GVSU’s users is on Blackboard.

I’ve been looking at LibGuides’ API Utility a lot lately (hopefully I’ll be able to post about that soon), and I noticed they have an option for users to embed LibGuides content boxes. It occurred to me that instead of having a librarian create a course guide, it might be more useful for faculty to embed the same content directly into their Blackboard sites – that way the student doesn’t have to go poking around the library website to find the relevant information, and the information can be shared at the exact point of need.

The technical know-how required to “grab” the content shouldn’t be too complicated; I created a how-to document for my librarians and it should be applicable to most other libraries using LibGuides. I think the more difficult thing will be figuring out where to embed those boxes within the course content.

I think this has a lot of potential, so I’m looking into ways we can market it; I’ve created a form so that faculty can request a course guide or “course modules” (that’s what I’m calling the LibGuides content boxes). I’ll be speaking with the university’s educational technology team in about two weeks – they manage Blackboard here – and I’m going to see if there’s some way we can advertise or “announce” it there. I will also encourage the liaison librarians to offer these to their faculty. Maybe we can find some other faculty-wide venues to share this information, as well.

I hope you’ll feel free to steal this idea, if you like it – and then please let me know if you have success with it!