Get help with LibApps, LibAuth, & LTI Tools

The Single-Course LTI tool (formerly known as the Manual LTI tool) allows you to embed Guide content, Database links, and/or E-Reserves Courses into Blackboard.

As with most instructions for other vendors' products, instructions may be a bit different, depending on the version of Blackboard you're using. The general idea of the thing should hold true, though:

• First, you need to set up the Tool Provider as an approved provider.
• Next, you need to set up the Placements: where in the system can folks use this tool.

Please note, the Deployment ID value from Blackboard will be needed to complete the tool setup in LibApps, so it is best to work through both steps of the setup process (in LibApps and in Blackboard) at the same time.

LibApps: Get the Configuration Information

The LibApps LTI Tool is available to CMS and E-Reserves subscribers. You must be a LibApps Admin to get the configuration information for your system.

You'll need to provide your Blackboard admins with this configuration information for the Single-Course tool or create them an account in one of your Springshare apps and make them a LibApps Admin.

Create a new Single-Course tool

If no Single Course tool using Version 1.3 exists in your system, you can create a new tool to use in Blackboard.

Please note that only one Version 1.3 Single-Course tool can be configured for Blackboard, so once you have created one that will be the tool to use.

1. Go to the LibApps Dashboard.
   • Log in using your LibApps login URL, or
   • Log into any of your Springshare products, click the blue menu on the left, and choose LibApps.
2. Go to Admin > LTI Tool Builder.
   • LibApps Admins can access this area. If you are on the LibApps dashboard and do not see an Admin menu, you are not a LibApps Admin.
3. Click the Add LTI 1.3 Tool button.

4. Set the Tool Name.
   • ​This field will not update in Blackboard after this tool is installed, so choose wisely! If you choose to change the tool after installing it in Blackboard, you'll need to reinstall it, which will break all existing connections.
5. Set the Tool Description.
   • ​This field will not update in Blackboard after this tool is installed, so choose wisely! If you choose to change the tool after installing it in Blackboard, you'll need to reinstall it, which will break all existing connections.
6. Choose to enable the Custom Header/Footer (or keep disabled).
7. Choose to enable the Custom JS/CSS (or keep disabled).
8. Select Blackboard from the LMS dropdown.
9. Enter your LMS Hostname.
   • The hostname must start with http:// or https://, without a path or trailing slash. For example: https://school.blackboard.com
10. Select Single-Course Setup for the Tool Type.
11. Click Save.
    • After saving the page will reload and you will see a new, empty Deployment ID field. This field will be filled out with a value from Blackboard that you will get when setting up the tool in Blackboard.

12. Click on the Configuration tab. Record/copy the Client ID and Target Link URI values.
    • The Client ID will be needed when adding the tool to Blackboard.
    • And the Target Link URI will be needed when creating a placement for the tool in Blackboard.

13. Return to the Tool Settings tab and keep this window open as you will need to record the Deployment ID from Blackboard.

Use an existing Version 1.3 Single-Course tool

Only one Version 1.3 Single-Course tool can be configured for Blackboard, so if one has been created in your site already that is configured for Blackboard, you will need to use that tool.

1. Go to the LibApps Dashboard.
   • Log in using your LibApps login URL, or
   • Log into any of your Springshare products, click the blue menu on the left, and choose LibApps.
2. Go to Admin > LTI Tool Builder.
   • LibApps Admins can access this area. If you are on the LibApps dashboard and do not see an Admin menu, you are not a LibApps Admin.
3. Click the View/Edit Tool () icon for the Version 1.3 Single-Course tool.

4. Click on the Configuration tab. Record/copy the Client ID and Target Link URI values.
   • The Client ID will be needed when adding the tool to Blackboard.
   • And the Target Link URI will be needed when creating a placement for the tool in Blackboard.

5. Return to the Tool Settings tab and keep this window open as you will need to record the Deployment ID from Blackboard.

Set Up the Tool Provider

1. From the Blackboard Administrator Panel, select LTI Tool Providers under Integrations.
2. Select Register LTI 1.3 Provider.
3. Enter the Client ID for the tool that you copied from the Configuration tab in LibApps in the Client ID field.
4. Click Submit.

5. From the Modify LTI 1.3 Tool page, copy the Deployment ID value.

6. Return to the window where you have the Tool Settings tab in LibApps open and paste the Deployment ID value into the Deployment ID field.
7. Click Save and return to the window where you are setting up the tool provider within Blackboard.

8. From the Modify LTI 1.3 Tool page, set the Tool Status to Approved. 

9. For the User Fields to Send (in the Institution Policies section), select the Role in Course checkbox, and click Submit.

Add Placements

The type of placement you use in Blackboard makes a big difference in how you can use the Single-Course tool. In most cases, you'll likely choose between the Course Content Tool and Course Tool types. According to the Blackboard Learns documentation:

• Course content tool: Allow instructors to add the tool to their course content.
  • Allows grading: Allow instructors to add grading features such as due date and points possible to the tool.
• Course tool: The tool appears to instructors and course builders in the Course Management section of an Original course and in the Books & Tools menu of an Ultra course.
  • Allow student access: When selected student can access the tool in the student Tools menu. Add a description to help student understand what the tool is and what it does.

If you add it as Course Content Tool, you can use the tool multiple times in a single course. So you could add a link to a guide, a link to a set of Databases, and a link to an E-Reserves course.

If you add it as Course Tool, the tool appears to instructors and course builders in the Course Management section of an Original course and in the Books & Tools menu of an Ultra course. This may make more sense as an alternate option to putting the Automagic tool in the Course Navigation, but for the Single-Course tool, using the Course Content Tool type may be a more flexible option.

1. From the LTI Tool Providers page in Blackboard, open the menu for the tool you just added and choose Manage Placements.
2. Click Create Placement.
3. Fill out the placement information fields:
   1. Label: Name as you'd like it to appear in the course options.
   2. Handle: Unique identifier for the placement.
   3. Availability: Set to "Yes" to make the placement available to course builders and instructors.
   4. Type: Select the preferred type (i.e. Course Content Tool or Course Tool).
4. Enter the Target Link URI from the Tool Setting in LibApps in the Target Link URI field.
5. Click Submit.

Find the Tool in Blackboard

When using the Single-Course LTI tool in a Blackboard course, you'll find it in any area that has a Build Content menu (e.g., Content, Information). The name of the tool in the menu is the name you gave it when adding the Placement in the section above.

Check out our Display LibGuides content (guides, databases, or E-Reserves) using the (Manual) Single-Course LTI tool FAQ for more on selection options for various types of content.