Enhancing student access and engagement: A reading list migration project

Abstract

In the summer of 2021, Hibernia College Library made the decision to adopt reading list software for all college reading lists. EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) is the library's discovery tool, and EBSCO Curriculum Builder is available as an add-on to this service. Therefore, this was the most economical choice. Furthermore, testing proved that the tool met the college's requirements in relation to reading lists. This project represented a significant departure from the previously established practice of presenting static PDF reading lists on the student VLE. The rationale for this change was to improve the student experience and streamline procedures for reading list management. Communication and collaboration with the college's staff and faculty were critical to the project's success since their support was essential to guarantee a successful transition. Additionally, IT support was necessary for technical installation. It took seven months to migrate existing reading lists, and the software is already being used to create reading lists for new programs. While there were certainly significant benefits to this strategy, there were also implementation hurdles, and the library faces further challenges going forward. Initial feedback suggests that student engagement with the reading lists and the library has increased since implementation.