The shift to online learning at Pomona College has opened up new avenues for faculty and staff to connect with students through technology. One such tool for librarians at Pomona College has been Sakai. Sakai is an open-source community-driven Learning Management System that offers flexible and customizable options to students, faculty, and staff that fits their preferred teaching and learning style.
Creating a New Librarian Role
Before the pandemic, librarians offered research and instructional support through Sakai by uploading library resources for students to access through course sites and moderating forums to help faculty design customized lessons and guides. In addition, students could reach out to their designated course site librarian for individual research support. All of this was done using an instructor or TA role, which sometimes lead to confusion for faculty and students.
Since the pandemic, faculty have increasingly requested support from librarians in Sakai. As a result, ITS created a new librarian role in Sakai. The permissions on this new role limit librarian’s access to sensitive information, such as student grades, while still granting them access to help build course sites and assist students and faculty.
Adding the Librarian Role to your Sakai Course Site
To add a librarian role to your site, open the Sakai course site and select Site Info in the Tool Menu of your site. Select the Add Participants button from the Site Info tab and add your librarian. Now you can choose the Librarian role and click the Continue button to save.
More Tips and Tricks
In addition to Sakai Permissions and the new librarian role, Sakai provides multiple resources to help your customized online course experience. For more information on Sakai tutorials, please click the Help button on your Sakai site or visit Sakai Tips and Tricks. If you need any further assistance, please contact the ITS Service Desk at servicedesk@pomona.edu or call us at (909)-621-8061.
Story by: Sanghyun Jeon