APLA 2019

In 2016, MUN Libraries implemented Leganto, a new online course reserves system. Since its inception it has transformed the way reserves are handled at Memorial, in turn enhancing our service model for students and instructors. The success of Leganto at Memorial prompted the library’s multi-branch Leganto Committee to wonder, are reserves just the tip of the iceberg?
Early experiments by committee members revealed the potential of Leganto as a teaching and learning technology. Although marketed as a reserves system, we found that it could also be used to bring together guides, assignment materials, assessments, and learning objects for use during and after classroom instruction. To further explore this application of Leganto, librarians at Memorial were invited to participate in a formal pilot. The goals of the pilot were to create opportunities for instruction librarians to experiment with Leganto, as we investigated its potential to support IL. Participating librarians received technical and pedagogical support, and were encouraged to experiment and provide feedback. Participants decided individually when and how to integrate Leganto into their class design, resulting in a variety of interesting applications of the resource.
In this presentation we will provide further detail about the Leganto Information Literacy Pilot at Memorial Libraries. We will focus on the rationale behind this unique application of Leganto, and discoveries made as a result of the pilot. We will also discuss the design and workflow of the pilot, evaluation and participant feedback, identified challenges, and possible future directions.