Forging the library courseware link.

Libraries play an important role in the education of college students engaged in the online environment of a course management software package. The courseware enables faculty to teach fully online courses or use to enhance their traditional courses with online content. The role of librarians is magnified in the project initiated by the Eastern Kentucky University Libraries. An awarded grant provided an opportunity for librarians to focus more on collaborative relationships with teaching faculty members to better suit the information needs of students. The faculty chose Blackboard as the courseware for further collaboration with individual faculty members, academic departments, and specialized centers such as the Teaching and Learning Center. Integrating library resources into Blackboard courses has resulted in positive benefits for students, faculty and librarians.