New reading lists system
A new Leeds Reading Lists system is now in place, replacing the previous Minerva reading lists tool. This affects the way that tutors create and update reading lists, and changes the look and feel of how reading lists work, but shouldn’t have much impact on how students use the lists to find their key texts.
Support and guidance
We have migrated your existing lists to the new system for you, but you must go into your module area and publish them so that they are visible for students to see.
A variety of support and training is available for academic staff from June 2022 and online guidance is also available.
Online guidance
Video and quick guidance on how to create and edit a reading list is available on the Make items available for students webpages.
Tutor support sessions
Quick fire tutor support sessions are on offer to demonstrate how the new system works and to answer any questions.
Book onto a session by selecting the date you would like to attend below:
- Tuesday 23 August (10:30–10:50am)
- Monday 5 September (2:00–2:20pm)
- Tuesday 8 September (3:30–3:50pm)
- Monday 12 September (09:30–10:00am)
- Tuesday 20 September (2:00–2:30pm)
- Thursday 22 September (4:00–4:30pm)
- Monday 3 October (11:00–11:30am)
- Wednesday 5 October (3:00–3:30pm)
Key differences for tutors and students
The Library is working to minimise disruption for tutors and students. Current processes will remain largely unchanged, as the principles of the existing system work well.
Tutors can create and update their lists within the new system by following a link within Minerva, including marking items for digitisation. The Library will make reading materials ready for teaching and digitise requested readings.
Students taking modules from Semester 1 of the 2022/23 academic year will access their reading list using the same route as they do now, by clicking on the reading list link within their module area in Minerva. There is also a secondary route of access on the library website; for some lists a university login is required.
The new system also provides functionality that will allow us to improve the reading list experience for tutors and students including:
- usage information for items on reading lists
- ability to progressively release content week-by-week
- mobile app functionality.
Why did this happen?
Minerva was upgraded in June 2022 to a new version of the Blackboard platform. The University’s reading list tool could not be supported after this change and so we had to migrate to a new reading list system that is compatible with the upgraded Minerva system.
Feed into tailoring the new system
We are committed to improving our services in partnership with our users and we are keen to tailor the new system as closely as possible to the requirements of our tutors and students.
To help us do this, you can provide feedback on your experiences with the current reading list system by answering a short questionnaire. There are just four quick questions and you will help us to shape our reading list processes at Leeds:
Take me to the Reading list feedback form
Research interviews were conducted in June and July with teaching staff from a cross-section of schools, so that we can tailor our reading list processes to better meet tutor preferences.