Resource Lists and Requests

Recommended Resource List Structure for 2021/22 onwards

The Library's Resource List Strategy was endorsed by Education Committee in 2020 and following a period of consultation is being rolled out across the University for the 2021/22 academic year. The strategy is underpinned by principles of simplicity, consistency and improving the student experience. 

Resource Lists should be structured in the following sections: 

• Essential (maximum of three)
• Recommended (maximum of six)
• Further reading 

It is not necessary for every Resource List to feature every importance.

For examples of Resource Lists in the new structure see:

HSO6001: Compassionate Health and Social Care

DNT6103: Principles of Dental Aesthetics and Occlusion

Submitting your Resource List

Resource Lists should be submitted to the Library using our new template.  

Once completed the form should be returned to library-requests@bolton.ac.uk. Once received, the Library will check your Resource List for availability. 

Guidance on Resource List structure

Essential and Recommended Resources 
Where items are listed as Essential or Recommended the Library will seek to provide the text in electronic format. This will either be: 

1. in full-text as an ebook or ejournal article or 
2. where this is not available, by digitising a chapter, article or section

When a Resource List is submitted, the Library will check the availability of the Essential and Recommended titles. If titles are not available electronically, they will contact the relevant staff and ask for a chapter or section to digitise. If an item is to remain as Essential or Recommended this information must be provided, or the title will have to be moved to the Further Resources section.

If all of the requested areas of the text cannot be digitised due to copyright restrictions, an alternative electronic text should be recommended. Alternatively, one key chapter could be digitised and made Essential or Recommended, while other print-only chapters could be listed in the Further Resources section.  

Further Resources

The Library will aim to provide access to all Further Resources where possible, in either print or electronic format. It will make use of  a range of acquisition formats to provide access to material, while ensuring the best financial return on investment.

Academic staff can support this strategy by:

• Making regular reference to resource lists in lectures and seminars, and directing students to RLO as the key point of access for their recommended reading
• Working with their Academic Librarian to ensure RLO lists remain up to date

How to develop your Resource List

When completing a module specification, or otherwise reviewing a reading list, the following steps are advised:

1. Consider how choices of reading will support the Teaching and Learning strategy for the module. You may wish to consult reading lists from other modules on the programme, and consider how the reading may develop student understanding of issues and concepts as they progress.
2. Start by developing an awareness of already accessible resources via Discover@Bolton or Ebook Central (the Library's main package of ebooks). When looking for texts to use for Essential or Recommended readings, prioritise those which are already available electronically.
3. Where a text that you wish to recommend is not already available from the Library, contact your Academic Librarian. The Library will investigate the availability of the text and will endeavour to purchase it depending on cost, format and availability. The Library will prioritise acquisition in electronic format; where this is not available you will be asked to select a chapter or section for digitisation if the text is to be an Essential or Recommended reading*.
4. While still ensuring that essential readings are available electronically, is there an opportunity to diversify the references on your reading list? 
5. In addition to Importances, consider making use of notes and annotations on Reading Lists. 

Resource Lists Online

Resource Lists Online is the primary vehicle for UoB students to access their reading lists. The Library creates RLO lists based on the recommendations of academic staff, and can also provide training if academics wish to edit and maintain their own lists. 

RLO lists are embedded on the relevant Moodle sites, as well as being accessible from the Library website, student portal and MyBolton app. 

Resource Lists and the #UniAsItShouldBe bursary scheme

The University's #UniAsItShouldBe bursary scheme is run by the JS Group and enables eligible UoB students to purchase books from their resource lists with their bursary credit. The Library's RLO platform links through to the #UniAsItShouldBe store, enabling students to easily purchase items with their bursary credit where they wish. 

The Library passes information about UoB Resource Lists to the JS Group on an annual basis. If there are items that you particularly wish to be available to purchase via the bursary scheme, please place them in the Essential or Recomended section of the Resource List template. You can also note on the form that you recommend the item for purchase.