Reading lists
Reading list service
Provide your students with easy 24/7 online access to required and recommended readings.
How-to guides
Step-by-step guides for getting started and maintaining your reading lists.
Key dates
For action each teaching period.
Copyright compliance
All items requiring digitisation are assessed to ensure they comply with copyright.
Accessibility
All readings and course materials must be accessible for students with a disability.
Search reading lists
Search for reading lists and courses.
How-to guides
Resources including ebooks, electronic journal articles, databases,videos, digitised resources and physical resources in the collection can all be bookmarked from the library catalogue. Other resources found on the internet including documents, videos, images and websites can also be included on reading lists.
with reading lists
Introduction
The Reading List service is a web-based system which provides 24/7 access to course readings through direct links to articles, ebooks, databases, websites, the library catalogue and digitised readings in one convenient list.
Access the reading lists
There are several ways to navigate to your reading list. If there is no reading list for your course, please contact your lecturer for more information.
Go to your course in Learning@Griffith. Select Readings in the left-hand navigation bar.
Your reading list will open. You may be prompted to log in.
- Go to https://griffith.rl.talis.com/index.html.
- Enter your Course Code.
- Click on Search.
- Go to the Library Home Page.
- Click in the Catalogue box.
- Select More, then Reading lists.
Log in
When in a reading list, click on Log In.
If prompted, enter your normal Griffith username/password.
View Online button
The View Online button indicates that this item is available in an electronic format. Clicking on it will link out to the resource or open a page to access a digitisation.
Check for library availability
- Click on the title of an item to expand the view and see whether the item is in print or online and campus availability.
- Click on the location information to go to the Classic Catalogue for more detail and to place a hold if necessary.
- Click on View other formats/editions to search the catalogue for older editions.
Reading intentions
Setting up reading intentions helps you to organise your readings and easily keep track of progress. The reading intentions are stored in your profile for future reference and can only be viewed by yourself.
To set a reading intention, click on the small circle to the right of the screen and choose an intention.
Once you have set the intention, the icons are visible for quick reference.
Add a personal note
Make notes to help you organise your study. The notes are stored in your profile for future reference and can only be viewed by yourself.
Click on the three dots to the right of the screen and select Personal note.
Type in your note and click Save.
Download a bibliography
Export a copy of your reading list to PDF as a bibliography. The bibliography is in alphabetical order, not in the order the resources appear in the reading list.
NOTE: Be aware that the software will use the information in the Reading List to modify the citation style but some detail may not be exactly correct. You will need to amend the citations if you use these in your assessment.
- Select your preferred citation style.
- Click on the Citation Style button at the top of your list.
- Choose from one of the options.
Now download the bibliography:
- Click the View & Export button at the top right of the page
- Click PDF - Bibliography.
Additional information
- Contact the Course Convenor if there is no View Online button for a resource that should be available electronically (not all resources are electronic).
- Ebooks have user limits. This varies depending on platform, publisher and the number of copies purchased. Usually a message will display advising the user that the user limit has been exceeded. If this happens try again at a later time.
- Download limits can vary depending on platform and publisher. Please refer to the information on the ebook platform landing page for details.
Quick start guide - Teaching Staff
Introduction
The Reading List service is a web-based system which provides 24/7 access to course readings through direct links to articles, ebooks, databases, websites, the library catalogue and digitised readings in one convenient list. There are a few initial setup activities outlined in this guide and only need to be undertaken once. For more information including policies related to the service see the Reading List Overview.
Access the reading lists
There are several ways to navigate to your reading list. If you cannot find a reading list through the methods below, then the list has not been created yet. In this case, email readings@griffith.edu.au to request a new reading list shell.
- Go to your course in Learning@Griffith.
- Select Readings (left-hand navigation bar).
If the Readings link is not visible or present, go to the Ask Us item for further guidance.
- Go to https://griffith.rl.talis.com/index.html.
- Enter your Course Code and click on Search.
- Go to the Library Home Page.
- Click in the Catalogue box.
- Select More, then Reading lists.
Log in
You need to be logged in with your Griffith username/password to edit your reading list.
When in a reading list, click on Log in.
Edit
After logging in, the Edit button and red Action Bar will be visible.
If the Edit button does not appear, email readings@griffith.edu.au.
Install the Bookmark Button
You will need to install the Bookmark button once for every browser, on each device used.
First, ensure the Bookmarks/Favourites Bar is visible in your browser.
Installing the bookmark button
Press Alt+V+T+F
Press Alt+V+T+B
Select View and from drop-down menu select Show Favourites Bar.
The Bookmark Button is not available for Edge. However, an extension can be added from the Microsoft Store. See the Talis Support article for help.
Then, within Reading lists:
Step 1:
Click My Bookmarks, then Install Bookmark Button.
Step 2:
Click Next on the The Bookmark Button pop-up.
Step 3:
Place the cursor on Add to My Bookmarks. Drag to Bookmark/Favourites Bar.
Step 4:
Add to My Bookmarks should now be visible in the browser bar. You can rename the Bookmark Button (in the toolbar) once it is installed in the browser.
Add a reading list to My Lists
- Go to a reading list.
- Click on + My Lists.
- The next time you log in, click on My Lists to quickly go directly to lists you own or are working on.
Add resources to a reading list with bookmarks
Introduction
The term “Bookmarking” refers to adding a resource to a reading list. If you haven’t set up the Bookmark Button in your browser yet, go to the Quick start guide - Teaching Staff. If you have already added a resource to your list and need to request a digitisation from a print resource, go to the Request digitisations guide.
You can add any type of resource to a reading list regardless if it is held by Griffith. The Reading List team regularly check list items and attempt to provide access electronically first and then in print. If you add an item not held, you can also initiate the checking via the Suggest a purchase form. Be sure to include the Course Code and whether the reading is Required or Recommended.
Create a bookmark
- Search for the resource (book, article, etc.) in the Library Catalogue or through your preferred internet search for non-Library items.
- Add the bookmark using the Bookmark Button according to the type of resource or manually create a bookmark.
Bookmarking a book
Bookmarking a book chapter
Bookmarking a journal article
Bookmarking other resources
- Click on title from the catalogue to open the full record or navigate to the eBook platform/database. (Note: If the book is not in the catalogue see instructions for Manual (Any Resource))
Full record
eBook Platform
- Click on your Bookmark Button in the browser/favourites toolbar (it will be Add to My Bookmarks if you have not changed the name). The bookmark will auto-populate with details about the resource.
- Ebooks should include the URL/DOI and Online Resource will be automatically ticked (bottom of form).
- Use Add field to fill in other details if needed (e.g. Author’s full name, Edition, etc.).
- Select Create or Create & Add to List – see next section
- Click on title from the catalogue to open the full record or navigate to the eBook platform/database. (Note: If the book is not in the catalogue see instructions for Manual (Any Resource))
Full record
eBook platform
- Click on your Bookmark Button in the browser/favourites toolbar (it will be Add to My Bookmarks if you have not changed the name). The bookmark will auto-populate with details about the resource.
- In the bookmark, go to Add Field and select Has part (chapter, article, etc.), click Add.
- The form now has two tabs. Go to the tab with the ellipsis (…), select Chapter from the Resource Type drop-down menu.
- Click into the Title field and type in the chapter title as relevant.
- If the bookmark is for a selection of pages from a chapter (that is, not the entire chapter), this should be specified in this title field, for example “Selection of pages from Chapter 2 Visual Perception”.
- Use Add field to fill in other details if needed (e.g. Pages, Author’s full name, etc.).
- Select Create or Create & Add to List – see next section.
- For best results navigate to the article on the publisher database/platform and bookmark from the abstract page, not the pdf.
Click on link to go to platform
Publisher platform
- Click on your Bookmark Button in the browser/favourites toolbar (it will be Add to My Bookmarks if you have not changed the name). The bookmark will auto-populate with details about the resource.
- The bookmark has two tabs – Article and Is part of journal.
- Use Add field to fill in other details if needed (e.g. Author, Volume, Issue, Pages, etc.).
- Select Create or Create & Add to List – see next section.
Popular resource types other than books and articles include webpages, YouTube videos, other audio-visual resources, and theses.
- Navigate to the resource location online or in the Library Catalogue.
- Click on your Bookmark Button in the browser/favourites toolbar (it will be Add to My Bookmarks if you have not changed the name).
- The bookmark will attempt to auto-populate details, but you may need to add more information using Add field (e.g. Author, Publisher, Editor, etc.).
- Change Resource Type according to appropriate resource:
a. Webpage for any website or a specific webpage.

b. Audio-visual document for YouTube or other audio-visual resources.

c. Thesis from the Griffith Library Catalogue or other theses resource.

- Select Create or Create & Add to List – see next section.
The Bookmark Button is the recommended option for adding resources to your reading list. However, you can also add bookmarks using the Quick add book or the Add manually functions.
Quick add book
- Log In to the Reading List service
- Click on My Bookmarks, select Add and then Quick add book.
- Start typing the title of your book. The system will suggest some options. Highlight and select the correct book.
- Select the correct edition and format from the list. The X indicates the book is not in the library and a tick indicates that it is held.
- Review the auto-populated metadata for the title you selected, Add Field if relevant and then Save Bookmark.
- The bookmark is now available from My Bookmarks.
The Bookmark Button is the recommended option for adding resources to your reading list. However, you can also add bookmarks using the Quick add book or the Add manually functions.
Add manually (any resource type)
- Log In to the Reading List service
- Click on My Bookmarks, select Add and then Add manually.
- Select the Resource Type from the drop-down menu.

- All relevant fields need to be added individually and vary according to the Resource Type. Choose fields from the Add field drop-down menu and click Add. Type in the required information.

- Select Create or Create & Add to List – see next section.
In the bookmark form, you can either choose to save the bookmark (Create) to add to your reading list later or you can add it immediately (Create & Add to List) in one step. Resources are not visible to students until you Publish the list.
Create
- Select Create. The bookmark is saved for later action.
- Continue bookmarking other resources if needed or go to Add bookmarked resources to the list section below.
Create and Add to List
- Select Create & Add to List.
- Complete the following fields:
- Add to List - select your reading list from the drop-down menu.
- If your list has sections, you can choose where to place the bookmark (top or bottom) in the list as a whole or in a section.
- Note for student – Optional. Add any relevant information for students (see Student Notes section below)
- Importance – Choose Required or Recommended from the drop-down menu (see Importance Tags section below).
- Note for Library – Optional and not recommended for use. If there is important information, please email readings@griffith.edu.au instead of using this field.
- Click OK.
- Continue bookmarking other resources if needed or go to Add bookmarked resources to the list section below.
Add the bookmarked resources to the list
- Log In to the Reading List service and open your reading list.
- If you chose to Create & add to list, the bookmarked resource will be appear in the top or bottom of the section that you added it to.
- If you chose to Create the bookmark you can now add it to the Reading List.
- As you move up and down the list, a red Action Bar with the section name and Add Resource / Add Paragraph / Add section will appear.
- Scroll to where you would like the bookmark to appear in your list, and click on Add Resource.
- The Recently Bookmarked list opens. You can select the title if it appears in the window, or you can search by the title, author or ISBN.
- Click on Show More to see more results or to browse your bookmarks.
- Click on the title and it will be automatically added to the reading list.
- To set the importance, click on the Importance not set drop down arrow and select Required or Recommended.
- To add or edit a student note, simply click on the action button to the right of the title and select Note for Students. Once you have added your message, click on Save (or Delete to remove the note).

- Click Publish to save and make updates visible to students.
- See the Structure a reading list guide to move, delete or edit a bookmark or section.
Importance tags
Each reading in a list must be assigned an importance tag of Required resource or Recommended resource. These tags assist students to plan their study. These are also used by the Library when purchasing resources to ensure that the University complies with the Higher Education Support Act 2003. See the Reading List Service Overview for more information.
Student Notes
There are no set guidelines on adding student notes. However, these can be helpful to assist students when accessing the readings (e.g. for an ebook include the chapter or page numbers). Griffith University Library staff add notes for copyright compliance issues.
Introduction
The reading list structure is highly customisable and can be designed to align with the pedagogy of course content within Learning@Griffith. Course Convenors can choose to use a basic style with only the Required and Recommended readings sections or create an enhanced structure. Sections and Notes can be added to guide students according to weeks, modules or tutorials, for example. The images below show two examples as seen by the students.
Basic list example:
Enhanced list example:
You can see how the list will appear to your students by clicking on:
View, then selecting As student.
Structure a reading list
Editing the reading list
- Log in to the Reading list.
- Adding and editing resources and sections in your reading list is all completed using the red Action Bar, which appears on your list whenever you move your cursor.
- The Action Button to the right of the section or resource title offers a number of editing options.
Edit Section Menu
Edit Resource Menu
Add a section
- Move to the place in your reading list that you would like to add the section.
- Click Add Section on the red Action Bar, and enter a title and description in the dialogue box that opens.
- After you click on Save, the section will appear in the area of the list that you selected.
Delete a section
When removing a section, all resources in that section are removed. Move the bookmarks to another section or the un-sectioned part of the list first if required.
- Click on the action button (see above) to the right of the section title and select Delete.
- You will receive the following warning message:
- You can choose Delete or Cancel.
Move a section
There are two methods available for moving a section on your reading list. These are:
- Cut and Paste
- Move up or Move Down
Cut and paste
- Click the action button next to the section you would like to move, then select Cut
- The item you have cut becomes shadowed, and the action bar changes to a Paste / Cancel bar.
- To paste the section in the list, navigate to where you would like it to be on the list and use the paste bar, or the Paste below option visible in the above screenshot.
Move up or Move down
If you only want to move a section one spot up or down, you can do this by clicking the action button, and selecting Move up or Move down.
Edit a section
- To make changes to the section title, click on the Action Button to the right of the section title and select Edit.
- The dialogue box will open again and you are able to Edit as required and Save.
If you have not created your bookmarks yet, go to the Add resources to a list with bookmarks guide.
Add a resource
- Move to the place in your reading list that you would like to add the resource.
- Click Add Resource on the red Action Bar
- A list of Recently Bookmarked items opens. You can select the title if it appears in the window, or you can use the search bar to find a resource by the title, author or ISBN.
- If you would like to view more recently bookmarked resources, click on Show more.
- After you find the required resource, click on the title and it will be automatically added to the reading list.
Delete a resource
- To remove a resource, click on the Action Button (see above) to the right of the bookmark title and select Delete. (Ensure that you select the Action Button for the bookmark and not the section).
- You will receive a warning message. You can choose Delete or Cancel.
- Deleting the bookmark from your list does not remove the bookmark from My Bookmarks. It can be added back at any time.
Move a Resource
There are three methods available for moving an item on your reading list. These are:
- Cut and Paste
- Move up or Move Down
- Drag and drop
Cut and paste
- Click the Action Button next to the object you would like to move, then select Cut
- The item you have cut becomes shadowed, and the action bar changes to a Paste / Cancel bar.
- To paste the item in the list, navigate to where you would like it to be on the list and use the paste bar, or the Paste below option visible in the above screenshot.
Move up or Move down
If you only want to move an item one spot up or down, you can do this by clicking the Action Button, and selecting Move up or Move down.
Drag and drop
If you prefer dragging and dropping elements into place, you're able to do this by clicking and holding the up and down arrow button. The below screenshot is the drag in action so you can see the shadowing that is visible when you are dragging an item.
Edit a resource
- To make changes to the bookmark for the resource, click on the Action Button to the right of the resource title and select Edit.
- Edit the resource details as required and Save (or Cancel).
- From the same Action Button you can select Note for students and make changes as appropriate.
- You are also able to make changes to the Importance.
Remember to click Publish when you are finished editing to make changes visible to students.
Introduction
Reading lists can include any type of resource; either online or print. For print resources the Library can create digitisations (per copyright limits) which students can then access online as a pdf. The steps below are NOT needed for any online resource (i.e. online journal, ebook, streaming video).
Digitisations can be requested for:
- Chapters or sections of print books
- Print journal articles
HINT:
Due to copyright requirements, digitised materials have a start and end date that aligns with the period the course is offered. When these dates have lapsed, the digitisations expire, and they need to be re-requested. This also gives list owners an opportunity to review and update the list for any changes. The steps to re-request a digitisation are the same as requesting the initial digitisation as below.
Request a digitisation
- Log in to the Reading list.
- Locate the resource in the list. If the item is not in the list, see the Add resources to a list with bookmarks guide.
- Click on the action button the the right of the title, and then select Request Digitisation.

Request a Digitisation
- The Request a new digitisation form opens.
- There are three steps to finalise the request but usually all required information auto-populates and it is only necessary to check and submit. (Note: For some titles an intermediate pop-up screen prompts you to choose an ISBN. If this appears, click on the drop-down arrow and choose the first ISBN and then Submit.)
- For a book chapter, make sure the This is a full chapter box is ticked. All other information should be already included. If there are any errors or missing information you will be prompted to enter the details.
- If there is a notes or reference page separated from the chapter (i.e. at the end of the book) which needs to be digitised, click on Add reference page range and complete the page range fields. (Note: these pages are included in the total number of pages allowed by copyright.)
- The Request a new digitisation form opens.
- There are three steps to finalise the request but usually all required information auto-populates and it is only necessary to check and submit. (Note: For some titles an intermediate pop-up screen prompts you to choose an ISBN. If this appears, click on the drop-down arrow and choose the first ISBN and then Submit.)
- Click Add another to choose more than one page range, including any reference or note sections. All other information should be already included. If there are any errors or missing information you will be prompted to enter the details.
- For a section of a book (not a whole chapter), untick the This is a full chapter box to display the page range fields.
- The Request a new digitisation form opens. There are three steps to finalise the request but usually all required information auto-populates and it is only necessary to check and submit.
You are able to load your own pdf or Word document from the Request a new digitisation form.
After uploading, the system checks the document to apply copyright restrictions (e.g. whether your request is more than 1 chapter or 10% of the total pages of a work). Non-copyrighted material (e.g. personal papers, PowerPoints, etc.) can be loaded to your Learning@Griffith course site and then manually bookmarked to link it to the reading list (see Add resources to a reading list with a bookmark guide).
A student note such as “This document can be accessed via the Learning@Griffith site for this course” should be added to the bookmark.
The example below is for a book chapter, however the same steps are applicable for other Resource types.
- The Request a new digitisation form opens and auto-populates.
- Click on Choose File to upload file.
- Browse for the file on your computer and select open.
- Tick the box in the form confirming that the file only contains the content reflected by the information you added to the metadata fields.
- Tick the box for incidental artwork only if the digitisation includes images, not including graphs and tables.
- Click Next at the bottom of the page.
- The next page shows the course details. This information is auto-populated. If needed, you can make some changes.
- The start and end dates default to the time period for the course.
- The Needed by date can be left blank.
- Add or change the Student Numbers if this is blank. This does not need to be exactly correct, an estimate of the number of students is acceptable.
- Click Next.
- The last page shows your name and email. This is auto-populated but you can change if requesting on behalf of someone else.
- Click Next.
Digitisation outcomes
There are several possible outcomes after submitting the request. While your request is being processed the Digitisation pending message will display in the action button options .
If the request is not fulfilled immediately, Reading List staff will review and process. An email is sent when the request has been completed or if there is any issue.
- If the digitisation request passes the automated copyright checking it will be accepted.
- Click Close. You may have to wait a few minutes while the copyright coversheet is attached.
- The status changes to Digitisation attached in the action button options.
- When you Publish the list, the
button will be displayed.
If there is a newer edition of your book in the Library Catalogue, the system may prompt you to choose which edition to use. If you choose the newer edition, you can update the page numbers for the relevant chapter/section before resubmitting. Reading List staff will then update the reading list with the newer edition and load the correct scan. If you want to use the older edition, select Proceed with request anyway and it will be processed as usual.
If the digitisation is rejected due to exceeding copyright allowance (e.g. your request is more than one chapter or 10% of the total pages), Reading List service staff will contact you to discuss options. If no changes are made to meet copyright requirements, staff will add a Student Note:
Introduction
Below are How-to videos intended to complement the information contained in the How-to guides. Please refer to the How-to guides above for more detailed instructions.
Install the bookmark button
Bookmarking a book
Bookmarking a book chapter
Bookmarking a journal article
Bookmarking other resources
Structure a reading list
Request a Digitisation
Key dates
Griffith University
When | What |
---|---|
Monday, 23rd November, 2020 | Trimester 1 reading lists are now available for course conveners/academic staff to edit and/or update. If a change is made to a Trimester 3 reading list, then it should also be made in the Trimester 1 reading list. If a digitised reading is required for Trimester 1, it should be requested by selecting Request Digitisation from the action menu to the right of the title on the reading list. |
Monday, 8th March, 2021 | 2021 Trimester 1 starts. |
Open Universities Australia
When | What |
---|---|
Monday, 2nd November, 2020 | OUA Study Period 4 reading lists are now available for course conveners/academic staff to edit and/or update. If a digitised reading is required for OUA Study Period 4, it should be requested by selecting Request Digitisation from the action menu to the right of the title on the reading list. |
Monday, 30th November, 2020 | 2020 OUA Study Period 4 starts. |
Questions?
We are here to help!
If you have any questions about the Reading List Service, you can find your answers on Ask Us 24/7.
Or you can ask our friendly staff, contact us by phone or email.