Whether on or off campus, sign in to library search to see the most complete set of results. (Signing in also lets you request holds, access your library account, keep track of resources you’ve found for future use, save search criteria, and set up alerts to notify you when we get new material matching your search criteria.)
When off campus, you'll be prompted to sign in with your UA NetID and password to access library content. Or you can download Virtual Private Network (VPN), free for students and instructors. The VPN provides a secure connection with the UA network. It requires UA NetID+ Two-Factor Authentication, providing another layer of security.
Can't connect? See connecting to library resources for common problems and solutions, or contact us.
We have lots of print content, online resources, streaming video, and primary sources that we encourage instructors to use in their courses.
By using library-provided or open content, you'll save students the cost of expensive textbooks. To learn more about open educational resources (customizable and free to download, print, copy, and share), contact open education librarian Cheryl (Cuillier) Casey.
From your search results, filter to Available in the Library for print books or Full Text Online for ebooks.
Some ebooks limit the number of people who can view them at once. Contact your librarian before using it in your class. Learn more about finding and using ebooks and the importance of submitting required textbooks through the UA BookStores' textbook adoption process.
To find open ebooks without publisher restrictions, add the Open Access filter in your library search results for ebooks. Or search OER repositories directly (the Open Textbook Library is a great place to start).
We also recommend finding a relevant subject guide and using recommended databases in your field.
Use our guide to finding films, which lists a variety of streaming options.
To search for specific video titles in library search:
Not all Kanopy films have been added to library search, so you’ll need to search the Kanopy Streaming Video database directly.
Each term you plan to use videos in a course, submit a request using the library's online form. Streaming video often can't be purchased outright and must be licensed annually by the library, so we need to know if it will continue to be used in courses before extending the license. To learn more, read about video streaming.
Ask us for help or contact your librarian. You can also request materials.
Through the library's free document delivery service, we can digitize limited portions of in-copyright articles and book chapters without permission of the copyright holder, as long as they’re required readings made available only to students in your class (such as through D2L Brightspace or a password-protected website) and the amount requested does not exceed the limits allowed under fair use. Fair use guidelines advise limiting the amount to one article per journal issue or one to two chapters per book. Using these guidelines, we can scan and send you digitized articles or chapters. Larger portions of some works may still be fair use, depending on the context.
If you're assigning more than 1-2 chapters (but not the whole book), Fast Copy’s Class Notes can provide copyright clearance and sell print or digital course packs to students. (It may be less expensive for students to rent or buy a used copy of the book, or to use inclusive access).
If the whole book is needed, ask the UA BookStores about inclusive access (the cost of digital content is added to students' bursar accounts, unless they opt out). If an alternative title might work for your class, we can help you find free-to-use open educational resources or other library-licensed ebooks.
Learn more about fair use and copyright in instruction with our interactive tutorial.
For more information on copyright or making a fair use evaluation, see our guidelines for instructors or contact copyright librarian Ellen Dubinsky.
Links can break, so you need a permalink to the resource to place in D2L Brightspace or wherever your course content resides. This is a persistent link that won't break from off campus. D2L Help Pages for instructors provide detailed instructions on adding content, adding multimedia, and modifying content (select the > to expand each topic).
To get a URL using library search:
If you're using a library database, how you find the URL varies:
To add a URL for course content to your D2L Brightspace course site, follow these steps:
It's best to link directly to content rather than uploading PDFs. An exception is with document delivery (digitized chapters and articles we email to you). The links we email you expire after 30 days, so it's best to upload the PDF to D2L Brightspace.
Permalinks are often really long. Use TinyURL or Bitly if you need to display a permalink in your syllabus or elsewhere. It will convert a long URL to a much shorter one.
The library doesn't have textbook reserves, but we do offer a small shelf for print materials that meet certain criteria. Learn about your options.
A "Library Tools" link appears in the top toolbar of D2L Brightspace course sites by default, unless a college or instructor has removed it. It contains subject-specific library resources and ebook versions of required textbooks. Work with your librarian to customize the content (Library Tools in Law and Health Sciences course sites aren't fully customizable yet).