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- Reduce student textbook costs
- Do you assign library content in your classes?
- AI Salon Series
- Mason Libraries is in Canvas Commons
- Course Reserves in Canvas
Reduce student textbook costs: Check for library-provided online access to course materials
Did you know the Libraries actively collect online resources suitable for use as course materials across the curriculum? In addition to e-books and journal articles, we have online case studies, streaming video, datasets, and more. Students can access our online resources on- and off-campus, at no cost, by using their university login credentials when prompted.
Many of our e-book collections are ideal for classroom use. Wherever possible, we prefer e-books that permit unlimited users and unrestricted PDF chapter downloads, also known as DRM-free (Digital Rights Management free) e-books. We have DRM-free e-books in all areas of the curriculum, including STEM.
In response to faculty and student demand, we’ve gradually built online collections of:
- Case studies in business, STEM, and research methods, including SAGE Business Cases, which come with instructor notes.
- STEM and clinical video resources such as JoVE and Symptom Media.
- Introductory and overview e-book series, such as the Oxford Handbooks Online and the Very Short Introductions.
To assign library online resources in your courses, either link directly to the resource in Blackboard or Canvas, or use our Leganto course reading list tool. When linking to library resources, look for “mutex.gmu.edu” in the URL to ensure you’re sending students to our subscription access. If you need help finding the best link to share with your students, just ask!
Unfortunately, not all potential course materials are available for academic libraries to license online. It’s common for publishers to offer options for individual purchase only. In those cases, we can often place a physical copy of the resource on reserve at any Mason campus library. We can also help you locate near-equivalent resources within our collections.
To learn more about using library eBooks, case studies, and streaming media in your courses, see this guide or contact your subject librarian.
Do you already assign library eBooks, chapters, articles, or streaming videos in your classes?
Let us know how you’re using our collections to support student learning and help students save on textbook costs. Complete our eBooks as textbooks survey or email libcoll@gmu.edu with the course number, title(s) of the resource(s) you’re using, and ideally also the link(s) you share with your students.
AI Salon Series
The AI Salon Series brings community members together to discuss current events and intersectional topics surrounding artificial intelligence. In the style of scientific salons, a Mason Librarian will provide a brief presentation on a specific topic related to AI. Following the presentation, we’ll open the floor for a lively discussion where you can share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with audience members. This is a great chance to engage with critical issues and learn from each other.
Location: Our in-person salons will be held in the Fenwick Library Main Reading Room (Level 2) on Fairfax campus. Our online salons will be held on Zoom.
Registration: Visit library.gmu.edu/workshops to register for online and in-person sessions and to receive a calendar invite. Zoom links will be provided through this registration.
Fall 2024-Spring 2025 Salon Topics:
- AI and the Legal System
- Zoom – September 3 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person – September 4 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI and Elections
- Zoom – October 1 - 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person – October 2 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI in Education
- Zoom - November 5 - 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-Person – November 6 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI, Research, and Publishing
- Zoom – December 3 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person December 4 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI, Data, and Digital Scholarship
- Zoom – February 4 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person – February 5 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI in Healthcare and Medicine
- Zoom – March 4 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person – March 5 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI and Climate Change
- Zoom – April 8 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person – April 9 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- AI, Authorship, and Copyright
- Zoom – May 20 – 1 PM - 2 PM
- In-person – May 21 – 1 PM - 2 PM
Questions and feedback about AI or the salons can be directed to Dr. Heidi Blackburn (Computing Librarian) at hblackbu@gmu.edu.
Mason Libraries is in Canvas Commons
Mason Libraries offers instructional services to faculty, including face-to-face and online instruction for both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. In addition to our tutorials collection, we now share course specific and general library instruction learning objects on Canvas Commons. Canvas Commons is a learning object repository accessible to course instructors with Canvas accounts. Instructional content includes Zotero, evaluating sources, database searching, developing a research topic, and citation mining. Mason Libraries’ content within Canvas Commons is tagged “masonlibraries” for easy searching and finding. For more detailed information on finding and adding library content to a Canvas course, see this guide. Faculty can also request instruction services via the library website or reach out to their respective subject librarian.
Course Reserves in Canvas
Mason Libraries uses the course reserves system Leganto. The tool, labeled Course Reserves (Leganto) in Blackboard and Canvas, allows faculty to build lists of content including our own content and from other sources like YouTube and other popular platforms. These lists can be saved, re-used, altered, edited, and shared to reduce the time and trouble often associated with readings and Course Reserves.
While George Mason transitions to a new LMS, Leganto is available in both Blackboard and Canvas during the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters until Blackboard is retired in summer 2025. Faculty can find instructions on how to add Leganto to their course menus by referring to this guide or viewing our Leganto video series “Get Started” and “Learn More.” Mason Libraries is also offering two online drop-in sessions on August 16 and 23 for faculty who would like live assistance with adding Leganto to their Canvas courses or who have questions about Leganto in general. See the library workshop calendar for registration information and Zoom links.
Stay Connected
We are on Instagram! (instagram.com/masonlibraries)
Calendar of Events (library.gmu.edu/workshops)