Xi’an RTVU library recently began the construction of an online course bookshelf.

The online course bookshelf is a specialized course-based virtual bookshelf built to simulate the environment of a real bookshop. It provides six types of resources: textbooks and related publications, academic papers,

learning guidance materials, links to related online learning courses, links to specialized course websites, and examination papers.

By building an online course bookshelf, Xi’an RTVU aims to open a second online classroom to help students search for digital library resources, expand their learning horizon and improve their professional skills. The university is searching for a unique development path for the digital library that integrates the characteristics of distance education, in order to improve the overall quality and service of the university library.

At the working conference on the construction of the online course bookshelf held a few days ago, Xi’an RTVU said that the online course bookshelf will be developed in a gradual, focused way, giving priority to the construction of about 100 courses, including public foundation courses, specialized foundation courses and specialized courses.

The full name of Xi’an RTVU Library’s online course bookshelf project is Research on a Service Model to Provide Resources Supported by the Digital Library: Example Based on “An Introduction to the Linguistics of the Chinese Language”. It is one of the key projects of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Education completed by the university in 2009. The project won second prize at the 2010 national RTVU scientific achievement awards. The project has also been recognized by experts from important institutions of higher education, including Tsinghua University and Beijing Normal University. Xi’an RTVU is currently putting the research results into practice on a larger scale.

By Ai Wan and Yi Meng, Xi’an RTVU