COD Library: Online Teaching: Linking and Embedding

Linking & Embedding Library Content

Most COD Library databases provide options for sharing content. Linking to content or embedding content allows you to include electronic resources seamlessly into your Blackboard course.

Below you will see best practices for linking to and embedding various types of content as well as helpful tips for providing stable links to web content and embedding multimedia.

For tips for accessing COD Library resources and databases from off-campus, visit https://codlrc.org/dbhelp

Article Databases
Magazine, journal, and news articles are available through over 100 Library databases.

Best Practices

While many articles can be downloaded as PDFs, consider it best practice to link to full-text articles rather than uploading PDFs to your course.
Provide a complete citation: It is always wise to provide a full citation for any materials that you wish students to access. This will help our librarians help your students find your materials if the link doesn't work.
When linking to content, please be sure to use the permanent URL, permalink, or persistent link provided by the database. Do not use the URL displayed in your Web browser's address bar.
Include a reminder that students will need a valid COD Library Card to access material from off-campus.

For additional information about copyright and fair use, visit https://library.cod.edu/copyright/classroom

The Library has about 17,000 academic e-books that can be accessed and read on any device that is connected to the Internet using a web browser. Most of our e-books are also downloadable to read offline.

Best Practices

Many e-books can only be used/checked-out by one patron at a time-- keep this in mind if you are requiring your students to access an e-book
While some e-books are available for download (in part or in their entirety), consider it best practice to link to e-books rather than uploading PDFs to your course.
Provide a complete citation for any materials that you wish students to access. This will help librarians help your students find your materials if the link doesn't work.
When linking to content, please be sure to use the permanent URL, permalink, or persistent link provided by the database. Do not use the URL displayed in your Web browser's address bar.
Include reminder that students will need a valid COD Library Card to access material from off-campus.

For additional information about copyright and fair use, visit https://library.cod.edu/copyright/classroom

Video Databases
Most video content is delivered via streaming service - downloading or copying streaming video files is generally not permitted. For additional information about copyright and fair use, visit https://library.cod.edu/copyright/classroom

Best Practices

Provide a complete citation: It is always wise to provide a full citation for any materials that you wish students to access. This will help our librarians help your students find your materials if the link doesn't work.
When linking to content, please be sure to use the permanent URL, permalink, or persistent link provided by the database. Do not use the URL displayed in your Web browser's address bar.
When embedding content, please be sure to copy and paste the complete text of the embed code provided by the database. You can check by verifying that the code starts with “<script” or “<iframe” and ends with “/script>” or “/iframe>”. This embed code should be used only in Web pages.

Music and Audio Databases
The Library’s streaming audio options provide access to nearly 6 million tracks on over 480,000 albums, supporting teaching and learning in a variety of subjects. Most audio content is delivered via streaming service - downloading or copying streaming audio is generally not permitted. For additional information about copyright and fair use, visit https://library.cod.edu/copyright/classroom

Best Practices for Embedding and Linking to Audio

Provide a complete citation: It is always wise to provide a full citation for any materials that you wish students to access. This will help our librarians help your students find your materials if the link doesn't work.
When linking to content, please be sure to use the permanent URL, permalink, or persistent link provided by the database. Do not use the URL displayed in your Web browser's address bar.
When embedding content, please be sure to copy and paste the complete text of the embed code provided by the database. You can check by verifying that the code starts with “<script” or “<iframe” and ends with “/script>” or “/iframe>”. This embed code should be used only in Web pages.
Include reminder that students will need a valid COD Library Card to access material from off-campus.

Image Databases
The Library has a comprehensive collection of image databases for teaching and study in a wide range of subject areas. Images in these databases are licensed for academic use. For additional information about copyright and fair use, visit https://library.cod.edu/copyright/classroom

Best Practices for Embedding and Linking to Images

Although many image databases allow you to download and save image files, consider it best practice to to link to images rather than uploading image files to your course.
Generally, do not copy and save images (right-click & “Save Image As”) from online sources.
Provide a complete citation: It is always wise to provide a full citation for any materials that you wish students to access. This will help our librarians help your students find your materials if the link doesn't work.
When linking to content, please be sure to use the permanent URL, permalink, or persistent link provided by the database. Do not use the URL displayed in your Web browser's address bar.
Include reminder that students will need a valid COD Library Card to access material from off-campus.

Linking Basics

Use persistent URLs
The URL for a full-text article retrieved from a COD Library licensed database is either dynamic or persistent. Dynamic URLs are created when you do a search that brings you to a full-text article. A dynamic URL is temporary and usually doesn't work when copied and tried again. If you provide the URL to others within LMS or by email, for example, they usually can't access the information.

A persistent or durable URL (also called PURL, stable URL, persistent link, or durable link) is an internet address that remains constant. Many COD LIbrary licensed subscription databases provide PURLs which can be inserted into Blackboard and web pages so students can be directed to full-text articles. Using PURLs rather than uploading articles to Blackboard or on a web site avoids copyright compliance issues.

Include bibliographic information
Even persistent URLs can fail to work if they are copied or pasted incorrectly. Including bibliographic information about the article with the link will help users find the article in the database if the persistent URL acts up.

Embedding Basics

Use embed code provided by the database
Embed code is a snippet of HTML that is inserted directly into a page's source HTML. The embed code is a container for interactive content, such as a video. You can also embed webpages and other types of content.

Use "HTML view" in Blackboard
Within a Blackboard Content area, choose Build Content, Create Item and provide a name for the content item.

In the text area, switch to HTML view. This will bring up a small pop-up window. Paste the embed code from your external source in this window. Choose Update. Then Click Submit.

Include a direct link
Provide a direct link to the embedded content so students can access it from the database should the embedded player not function correctly.

Copyright

Be aware of copyright restrictions when linking to library materials, or electronic resources licensed by the library

Items integrated into your LMS course area or web pages are subject to U.S. copyright law (Title 17, US Code). N.B. Storing documents in LMS or on web sites may violate copyright law.
For specific information regarding licensing restrictions, consult the terms and conditions provided by the publisher or vendor
The text of your link must include author, title, publication, volume and issue number (if applicable), copyright year and page numbers