Develop your skills in using digital library resources with LibSmart
The LibSmart courses have been written by Academic Support Librarians to help you get the best out of using the Library. We support students to develop their digital and information literacy skills, including literature searching, avoiding plagiarism through appropriate citation and managing references. We also offer LibSmart II, for those wishing to further develop their skills in specific areas.
What is LibSmart?
LibSmart is an online, self-enrol Learn course developed with the aim of ensuring that every student is digitally capable in using online library resources for their study and research. Open to all students, both courses can be worked through in their entirety, or one or two of the most relevant modules selected instead. The courses can be begun at any point in the academic year.
LibSmart I
A self-enrol Learn course to help you get started using library resources at the University, LibSmart I is designed to be studied how and when it suits you. It has five modules that will take you step by step from starting to use the library to researching a topic for a report or essay. You can choose to work through every module or just those most relevant to you.
You can revisit the course at any point during your studies, and use it as a hub of resources to support your personal and academic development. The content covers:
| Getting started with the Library | Get started with accessing and using online library resources for your studies |
| Your information landscape | Explore and use key library resources appropriate to your discipline |
| Finding and retrieval | Find material for an essay or report on a topic |
| Managing information | Manage the information you’ve found and avoid information overload |
| Referencing and avoiding plagiarism | Use Library tools to develop good academic practice with citation and referencing |
LibSmart I includes reflective activities to get you thinking about your own skills, experiences and what you hope to achieve.
LibSmart II
LibSmart II (a self-enrol course on Learn) takes you further into the library landscape, providing help on undertaking your dissertation, thesis or project research. Ten stand-alone modules are available to help in developing knowledge of a wide range of digital resources, in learning specialised or advanced digital search techniques and in developing the skills to manage your research literature and data effectively. We recommend you complete LibSmart I before moving on to LibSmart II, as you will build on the foundations developed in the first level of the course as you complete each of your chosen modules.
Options include:
In LibSmart II you can choose to complete any number of modules that interest you from the ten modules available.
An Introduction to LibSmart (video)
- Video: LibSmart introductory video
- Video introducing LibSmart I and II, the online information literacy courses created by the Academic Support Librarian team and available on the Learn platform.
How to enrol on LibSmart
LibSmart is an online self-paced Learn course. To enrol, please follow these steps:
- Visit www.learn.ed.ac.uk
- The 'Courses' area is the landing page.
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Select ‘Course Catalogue’ - top right corner.
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Locate the search box, along from 'Search Catalogue', and enter: libsmart
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Select ‘Go’.
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In the COURSE ID column of the results which display, hover over the entry of the LibSmart course you want to join to see a downward pointing arrow.
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Select the arrow to see and choose 'Enrol' .
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Select ‘Submit’. A screen confirming 'Success' will load.
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Select 'OK' to access the course.
Watch this process in our demonstration video, below.
- Video: LibSmart I Demo Enrol 2022
- Recorded demo of enrolling for LibSmart I, taken in October 2022 using Learn Ultra.
More information on Guest and Self-Enrol Course Access
Contact the IS Helpline about problems accessing the LibSmart courses
Contact Us
To contact the Academic Support Librarian working with your subject area and talk about LibSmart, extra training or anything library-related, please use one of the pages below, or submit a request through EdHelp.