Reading Lists Policy
1. Purpose
This document sets out Library Services' policy on reading lists and explains the role and responsibilities of Library Services and the module convenors.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure an institutional approach to the provision of reading list material and to enable Library Services to meet students' information resources needs.
The reading list policy aims to explain the roles and responsibilities of Library Services and Programme Directors / Module Convenors regarding the implementation of the policy, and to ensure:
- students have access to essential reading materials and are aware of further reading that may be required for the modules on which they are enrolled
- consistency, accuracy and clarity of reading lists to create a positive experience for students
- reading lists are accessible and representative of our diverse student population
- purchasing and provision of resources is cost-effective and that resources are available in the right format, and at the right time to meet the learning and teaching objectives of the programme of study
- effective use of Reading Lists Online (reading lists software used for Clerkenwell and Moorgate campuses) and My Reading List (reading lists software used for Tooting campus, accessed via Canvas), to help reduce the burden associated with the administration of reading lists
- compliance with copyright law and the terms of the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) agreement in the use of digital readings.
2. Scope
This policy should be adopted by all departments at City St George's, University of London, and it should apply to all reading lists for taught Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses, outlining the list of essential and additional reading for students enrolled on the module.
3. Responsibilities
Academic staff and library staff must work together in the planning and development of resources requirements for both new and existing modules and programmes.
3.1. Module convenors' responsibilities:
- review published reading lists on Reading Lists Online or My Reading List as applicable to the campus, at least once a year
- update reading lists using Reading Lists Online or My Reading List, the reading list software. Provide updates to Library Services indicating requirements for new resources by the agreed deadlines
- assign importance to essential items on the reading list - using the 'essential reading/core' label next to the reference, This will give clear guidance to the students enrolled on the module, and it will be used for resource allocation (see Collection Development Policy, section 3.3)
- indicate the number of students enrolled on the module, so library staff can purchase sufficient numbers of copies, and comply with the CLA Licence for digitised resources
- ensure that the reading lists associated with their modules contain material that is easily accessible to all students. Liaise with your Subject Librarian/Liaison Librarian to check availability of key resources
- choose items available as e-books for institutional purchase whenever possible
- ensure that reading lists include a range of materials that reflects the inclusivity and diversity of the University community
- liaise with Subject Librarians/Liaison Librarians to report issues as and when they arise
- publish the reading list. Republish the list after editing
- place digitisation requests, when only one chapter or 10% (whichever is greater) of a book is required. Digital Course Readings are scanned extracts from printed books and journals that are made available to students via Reading Lists Online/My Reading List. This may be done where resources are in high demand, to make access to key reading easier. Digital course readings must be managed within Reading Lists Online/My Reading List to comply with the requirements of the CLA license. They must not be uploaded on Moodle/Canvas. To do so would be a breach of copyright law and could result in a fine and damage to City St George's reputation.
3.2 Library Services responsibilities
- provide training, guidance and support in using Reading Lists Online/My Reading List
- add new reading lists to the module hierarchy to ensure they are linked to the modules on Moodle/Canvas
- order new or updated items specified on reading lists. Purchase e-books where available
- for print resources, marked as essential readings, on a reading list, check if an e-book can be purchased. If an e-book is not available, check usage statistics to assess if additional copies are required
- advise academic staff if items on reading lists are out of print, or if cost is prohibitive, so that alternative texts can be considered, where appropriate
- treat items on reading lists not marked as 'essential' as further/additional reading
- inform module convenors, if new editions of items on reading lists have been released and update the reading list where appropriate
- advise on copyright clearance and document digitisation
- scan/obtain required digitised extracts if the book is covered by the CLA license and embed hyperlinks in Reading Lists Online/My Reading List
- Apply accessibility measures to digital course readings, including optical character recognition to enable use with screen readers. Add bookmarks for ease of navigation around the documents.
4. Deadlines and timescales
Reading lists in Reading Lists Online/My Reading List can be updated throughout the year. Academic staff and module convenors should revise the reading list by the following deadlines to give Library Services sufficient time to purchase resources for the start of each term and make/renew digitised content available where necessary.
Subject Librarians/Liaison Librarians will contact academic staff to remind them to submit or update new reading lists.
| Period | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | 1 September (1 August for some courses running at the Tooting campus) |
| Term 2 | 1 January |
5. Resources in alternative formats for students with additional needs
Schools are notified by the Disability and Neurodiversity Support Team if a student needs library material in alternative format.
Academic staff will be expected to supply the list of essential reading for the module.
It can take ten weeks or longer to obtain material in alternative format. Even if the material is available online, the platform and the format need to be checked for accessibility.
6. Related documents and web pages
For guidance on the following areas, see the links below:
Guidance about copyright and Moodle/Canvas can be found at
Library Services for additional needs - alternative formats service
Alternative format materials for print impaired library users
Information about how to create reading lists and digitisations:
- Reading Lists Online (Clerkenwell and Moorgate campuses)
- My Reading List (Tooting campus)
Information about digital course readings service
- Digital Course Readings (Clerkenwell and Moorgate campuses)
- Scanned Readings Service (Tooting)
If you require assistance with reading lists, contact the appropriate Subject Librarian/Liaison Librarian:
- Subject Librarian (Clerkenwell and Moorgate)
- Liaison Librarians (Tooting campus) can be contacted via liaison@sgul.ac.uk.
The Reading List Policy will be reviewed annually and updated when appropriate, or as and when the Library Leadership Team considers it necessary.
Any enquiries relating to the Reading List Policy should be directed to library@citystgeorges.ac.uk.
Last updated May 2025