During 2017, Macquarie University Library undertook a project to evaluate and implement a new reading list management system called Leganto. The project began with small pilots in Sessions 2 and 3 with units from the Faculty of Arts. In Session 1, 2018 the pilot is continuing. The Library is working with three departments from the Faculty of Arts (Department of Ancient History, Department of English and Department of Security Studies and Criminology), as well as select units from other faculties, to implement their reading lists in Leganto.
Leganto is a cloud-based platform that enables unit convenors, students and librarians to collaborate in the creation, management and evaluation of reading lists.
Benefits of Leganto include:
• Reading lists are easy to create, annotate, manage and update
• Flexible layout allowing lists to be organised by week, topic, or theme
• Easy inclusion of multimedia, web resources, blogs and other media types
• Integration with MultiSearch providing a simple workflow for adding library resources
• Students are able to actively engage with the reading list by ‘liking’, commenting on, and suggesting additional readings
You might also like to have a look at: Introduction to Leganto for Convenors.
To date, unit convenors have commented on Leganto’s ease of use, clarity for students, and time saving features. Favourable comments have also been received regarding Leganto’s ‘eye’ icon which provides a quick count of how many times a reading has been viewed.
“It was a real value add, really simple to use, really simple to learn about, the support was great, and it was actually productive and made life easier…” Session 2 pilot participant.
Students have also responded positively to Leganto:
“I loved the fact that I had all my readings in one spot and I could just click on a couple of links and get to the resource I needed without having to tediously go through MultiSearch every time like usual. It streamlined my learning immensely.”
Longer term, the Library plans for Leganto to be one of its strategic initiatives supporting teaching and learning at Macquarie University. In future sessions the Library will work with more units to make their reading lists available in Leganto. For non-pilot units, reading lists will continue to be maintained in iShare (Equella), which also serves as a central repository for shared L&T resources.
Here’s a sample reading list in Leganto (MQ community only).
Any questions can be directed to Kendall Kousek, kendall.kousek@mq.edu.au.
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