Services for Faculty, Instructors, and Teaching Assistants

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Course Reserves & Syllabus Service

We offer syllabus service to support instructors in their teaching and to make course readings available to students while respecting Canadian copyright provisions and existing licensing agreements on library materials.

Submitting Your Request

Please submit your course syllabus with a complete reading list to reserves [at] vicu [dot] utoronto [dot] ca and include the following details:

  • the course name and course code
  • instructor’s name and contact information
  • the number of students in your course.

Once electronic reserves are prepared, they will be available on Quercus: please consult the web site of the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office for information on accessing electronic course readings.

Additional Services for Course Reading Lists

Our support for your teaching can also include the following services:

  • finding online versions or online alternatives of the required readings for your courses
  • purchasing or licensing specific ebooks, when available, that are needed by your students
  • compiling lists of online sources tailored to your assignment topics
  • consultation on developing assignments that incorporate information literacy skills.

Please contact Roma Kail, Head, Reader Services (r [dot] kail [at] vicu [dot] utoronto [dot] ca) to discuss your course reading needs and we will ensure a librarian follows up with you soon.

Information on copyright, fair dealing guidelines, and advice on selecting and using materials in your classroom is available from the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office.

Electronic Textbooks 

We understand that the cost of textbooks and other course materials are a barrier for students at every university. However, e-textbooks available for sale on publisher websites are for individual use only, and not available to the academic library marketplace.

Please consult “Support of Textbooks Remains a Challenge for Libraries in Online Environment” (UTL) for more information.

Teaching Services & Library Instruction Program

Our librarians support university teaching in a number of ways by helping students to develop essential academic research and information skills.

Library Research Workshops

Professors and instructors are encouraged to contact Roma Kail, Head, Reader Services (r [dot] kail [at] vicu [dot] utoronto [dot] ca), to arrange for a library workshop tailored to course requirements.

Teaching is designed to meet the learning outcomes of your course. Librarians guide students in developing specific research skills, such as narrowing down topics, creating effective search strategies, and locating authoritative research sources.

Our support for student learning can include:

  • creating online research guides linked in Quercus to point your students to the best resources and databases for their course work
  • customized instruction in real time through videoconferencing, based on the learning objectives of your course
  • developing instruction videos or other learning objects to teach research skills and help navigate library resources
  • hosting virtual office hours to assist students with research on a drop-in basis or participating in class discussion boards.

A Checklist for Requesting a Workshop

We request the following information to help us prepare for a workshop:

  • proposed date(s) of the session to provide us with a couple of options. Please note we require at least a two-week advance notice to ensure the availability of our librarians, write a lesson plan, create an online research guide, and prepare supplementary materials. Library instruction is most beneficial to students when it takes place at least two to three weeks before a research assignment is due. Therefore, please contact the librarian as soon as possible or at least one month prior to the due date
  • course title, code, description, and section
  • a current version of the course syllabus
  • a copy of the research assignment(s)
  • any specific research resources you would like us to introduce to your students, such as the library catalogue, a particular journal database or a digital collection
  • the number of students registered in your class
  • the preferred method of delivery: live instruction or pre-recorded video and/or relevant how-to-instructions for locating and assessing supporting research.

If it is not possible to provide all items on the checklist, please contact us to discuss alternatives. We attempt to accommodate every request we receive for library instruction. 

Quercus & Online Teaching Support

  • For personalized support for VIC Quercus courses, contact the Vic librarian you have worked with previously
  • For issues of Quercus course access (VIC courses) questions about course design, assignment settings, troubleshooting and "walk-throughs” of Quercus tools and features, contact Diane Michaud (Reader Services and Instruction Librarian, Vic College Quercus Admin) diane [dot] michaud [at] utoronto [dot] ca 
  • The Arts & Science Teaching Technology Team is also available for Quercus support at this email address: tts [dot] artsci [at] utoronto [dot] ca and they provide online guides for Quercus
  • Information on copyright, fair dealing guidelines, and advice on selecting and using materials in your classroom is available from the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office.

Research Consultations

Students are encouraged to schedule individual research appointments with our reference librarians. Consultations are customized to the research requirements of particular assignments. Meetings take place online and in-person.

Please contact us for assistance with a specific course and consider including our contact information on the course syllabus, along with mention of our online research consultation service.

Recommend a Title for Our Collection

Print and electronic books, journals, and other resources that are not listed in the library catalogue can be recommended for inclusion in the library collection. To suggest a title, please contact Beth Shoemaker, Head, Bibliographic Services (beth [dot] shoemaker [at] vicu [dot] utoronto [dot] ca).

Last updated: January 9, 2024