Course reading list automation

Purpose

1.1 Automate the collection, updating, and distribution of course reading lists across university syllabi, online portals, and library systems.
1.2 Automate integrating faculty-submitted materials with library catalogues, license checks, digital resource linking, and student notification systems.
1.3 Automate the creation and maintenance of digital and print reading list inventories for rapid retrieval and compliance with institutional copyright guidelines.
1.4 Automate syncing changes across course outlines, learning management systems (LMS), and library resource databases in real-time.
1.5 Automate analytics on reading list usage for curriculum planning and resource acquisition.

Trigger Conditions

2.1 New course creation or update in SIS/LMS triggers the automation.
2.2 Faculty submit or modify a reading list in digital form.
2.3 Library catalog receives new material acquisition.
2.4 Scheduled term start/end dates prompt batch updates or notifications.
2.5 Student or faculty requests additional reading resources.

Platform Variants

3.1 Microsoft 365 (Outlook/Excel)
- Function: Automate reading list emails via Outlook and sync list data via Excel API.
- Example: Triggered Outlook flow sends lists to faculty; Excel API maintains versioned lists.
3.2 Google Workspace (Sheets/Drive)
- Function: Automate collecting lists via Google Forms and update Sheets; auto-save PDFs to Drive.
- Example: Sheets API auto-updates list document, Drive API shares with stakeholders.
3.3 Canvas LMS
- Feature: API automates importing reading lists to course modules.
- Example: POST /api/v1/courses/:id/modules to update modules with new readings.
3.4 Blackboard
- Feature: Automate reading list sync via REST API to assignments.
- Example: PATCH /learn/api/public/v1/courses/{courseId}/contents for list updates.
3.5 Moodle
- Feature: Automate reading list block placement API.
- Example: core_course_create_courses and mod_resource_add_instance functions.
3.6 Alma (Ex Libris)
- Feature: Automate library resource check via Reading List API.
- Example: GET /almaws/v1/courses/{course_id}/reading-lists for inventory sync.
3.7 WorldCat
- Feature: Automate material lookup via WorldCat Search API.
- Example: GET /wskey/v2/search to locate holdings for list.
3.8 Zotero
- Feature: Automate citation format via Zotero Web API.
- Example: PATCH /users/{userID}/items for bibliography syncing.
3.9 Turnitin
- Feature: Automate reading list plagiarism screening via API.
- Example: POST /api/v1/submissions checks reading materials.
3.10 DocuSign
- Feature: Automate faculty reading list approval workflow.
- Example: POST /envelopes for signature requests.
3.11 Slack
- Feature: Automated notifications for reading list updates.
- Example: chat.postMessage API to relevant channels.
3.12 Microsoft Teams
- Feature: Automated posts of updated reading lists.
- Example: POST /teams/{team-id}/channels/{channel-id}/messages.
3.13 Jira Service Management
- Feature: Automate ticket creation for list requests/issues.
- Example: POST /rest/api/3/issue for reading list support.
3.14 Trello
- Feature: Automate reading list review checklists.
- Example: POST /1/cards with reading task checklists.
3.15 Notion
- Feature: Automated tracking of list version histories and updates.
- Example: POST /v1/pages with reading list metadata.
3.16 GitHub
- Feature: Automate version control for open reading lists.
- Example: POST /repos/:owner/:repo/contents/:path.
3.17 SharePoint
- Feature: Automated reading list repository and permissions.
- Example: POST /_api/web/lists for document library syncing.
3.18 Amazon S3
- Feature: Automate secure backup of digital reading lists.
- Example: PUT /bucket-name/file for list file uploads.
3.19 Zendesk
- Feature: Automate student/faculty reading material inquiries as tickets.
- Example: POST /api/v2/tickets to log requests.
3.20 Dropbox
- Feature: Automate reading list file sharing and update triggers.
- Example: /files/upload API endpoint for integration.
3.21 Box
- Feature: Automates document collaboration for list editing.
- Example: POST /files/content for updates, shared links.
3.22 Airtable
- Feature: Automate reading list database with form inputs and API sync.
- Example: POST /v0/{baseId}/{tableName} for data entry.

Benefits

4.1 Automates repetitive library and faculty processes, reducing manual entry.
4.2 Ensures compliance with copyright and resource procurement via automated checks.
4.3 Standardizes reading list formats for rapid course deployment through automation.
4.4 Automates notification to students and staff for real-time reading list changes.
4.5 Improved analytics for resource usage and curricular development, automatedly supporting data-driven decisions.
4.6 Promotes digital transformation of educational resources by automating library integrations.
4.7 Automation increases reliability and reduces human error in list management.
4.8 Automating system synchronizations guarantees up-to-date reading materials on all platforms.
4.9 Automator flows scale with campus size for new terms without extra administrative workload.
4.10 Enhances transparency and traceability of reading list updates through automated logging.