Last Revised: 6/20/2025 (new EduCat interface)
Redesigned in LibGuides by Professor Mike Strahan 6/10/2025
All NMU EduCat courses contain a default generic library block consisting of OneSearch, library catalog, citation guide links, & general library help.
However, the NMU Olson Library ELIS program offers so much more to students and course instructors.
ELIS is available to all types of courses which incorporate EduCat and utilize library resources & services. Working with instructors, Library Liaison faculty member will customize a list of targeted resources in EduCat. They also are available to answer student questions posted in the Forums/Discussion section or through email/chat. In addition, Library Liaison faculty are available to work with instructors to enhance existing or develop new library-friendly assignments.
By following the procedure below, you will grant permission to the NMU Olson Library Liaison assigned to your department/program. This permission/access allows the Library Liaison to add/modify library block content, post replies to the Library Forum, and post course-related library announcements.
Granting the Library Liaison with embedded permission does not provide Instructor-level access. That is, the Library Liaison cannot see grades, view submitted assignments, track students, etc.
Once you click on the Save Changes and Submit buttons, EduCat will activate such permission in your specific course, and send both you and the Library Liaison an email confirming the embedded action. The Liaison may then customize the following ELIS components in your EduCat course(s). Input from the course instructor regarding ELIS customization is encouraged & welcome.
ELIS is a direct, organized, personal library presence in EduCat, consisting of:
- NMU Olson Library block with links to
- Citing/Referencing style guide for specific course (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, etc.)
- Contact information for reaching the Embedded Library Liaison
- Course/assignment-specific Library Guide, Resources, Services, & Help
- NMU Olson Library Help Forum is automatically created after embedding the library liaison. Here is where the Library Liaison may answer library/research questions & citation style Q & A posted by students.
In order to implement ELIS in EduCat, the course instructor must perform the following steps:
1. Login to EduCat, select your course, and click Edit mode button in the top-right corner of your course.
2. Look at the right side of the screen below the Edit mode button.
If you see items on the right side, continue with Step 3.
If you do not see items, please click on the Open block drawer symbol: <
which looks like this when you hover over the arrow:
3. Scroll down through the blocks. Look for a block labeled: NMU OLSON LIBRARY
Note that if you previously embedded a library liaison in this course, the library block will look the same as the last time the liaison customized it. However, until you complete the steps below, the liaison is not yet embedded in the course this time.
4. Click on Actions icon of 3 vertical dots to the right of the words NMU Olson Library (see red arrow below):
which will then display the following:
5. Click on the label: Configure NMU Olson Library block
6. This will open a new screen. Scroll down to section to add an Embedded Librarian, & select: Yes
Then click: Save changes
7. The screen will display the ELIS Agreement:
At the bottom, click: YES, I agree
8. This will result in an e-mail sent to yourself as course instructor, and to the Embedded liaison. It will also automatically create a Library Forum for your students to post library/research/citing questions, which is monitored by the Embedded Liaison.
Important Notes:
Please do not delete the library block, as such action also removes the embedded liaison from your course.
Due to CTL policies, Embedded Library Liaisons are purged with students at the end of every semester/summer. As such, instructors will have to redo this process every semester they teach their course(s). Thank you.