Is it better to provide a PDF or a link to a source when I share it with students?
If you’re using free material you've found online or material from a library database (e.g. ebook chapters or articles from academic journals or newspapers), it’s much better to give your students a link to the source rather than downloading a PDF and sharing that. Why?
Accessibility - When students access an article or ebook in the databases, they often have multiple options to view the source (ePub, plain text, PDF, etc.). A screen reader or other assistive technology will work much better with certain types of files so giving your students all possible options is the best.
Compliance with “fair use” - Having a static artifact (e.g. PDF) may violate the terms of use. While it’s fine for you or your students to download a copy for personal academic use, having a PDF live in your class semester after semester likely violates the terms of use and could lead to legal issues for the library.
Ethical considerations - By linking to the article or ebook, students are guided to the original source and are less likely to copy and paste without attribution. Plus, they have easy access to the library’s citation tools.
Up-to-Date Information - If the article has been updated with corrections or errata, linking to the database ensures that students have access to the most accurate version.