At VitalSource, we believe that every student should have seamless access to the course materials they need to succeed. Behind the scenes, higher education leaders, bookstore teams, publishers, and faculty work together to ensure Day One Access Programs run successfully.

This post recaps four recent Connect training videos, with practical tips and tricks you can use right away to keep your program running smoothly.

1. Catalog Creation and Schedules

Every successful term starts with intentional catalog setup. Here are some best practices to help you achieve a strong start.

Before catalog activation, get everything set up behind the scenes:

• Create term schedule(s).
• Confirm term schedule dates.
• Review email and communication settings.
• Check the enrollment file term mapping setting.
• Review and add items. 
  
  
• Set all sections to Active as you set up items.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to activate sections early! Students won’t see anything until the catalog itself is activated. Activating sections ahead of time gives faculty visibility to set up their materials in the LMS and helps the bookstore team prepare for a smooth catalog launch.

Once you Activate the catalog:

• Schedule dates take effect.
• Courses marked “Active” are ready to go live to students.
• Licenses are provisioned to students.
• Student charges can begin.
• Welcome emails are ready to send.
• Items can continue to be added to the catalog. 

Tip: Activate your catalog four weeks before classes begin. This gives you time to confirm welcome emails, test billing, and work with the Rush Readiness team on any last-minute adjustments.

2. Adding Items to Your Catalog

Accurate item setup prevents delays and ensures students get the right materials the first time. In Connect, it’s important to get item creation, content type, and delivery method right.

When building your catalog, there are three ways to add items:

• Explore and Create – Add items from the VitalSource catalog or RMS adoptions with just a few clicks and ensure pricing accuracy.
• Create from Scratch – This fully manual option is best for publisher-delivered courseware but time-consuming for large catalogs.
• Item Import – Duplicate past catalogs or import by publisher for fast bulk updates. Be sure your formatting matches the template exactly to avoid errors.

When it comes to item content type, our system uses three categories:

• Courseware  – Publisher-hosted content (via LTI, access code, or partner integration), sometimes including publisher-delivered eBooks
• Etextbook – A VitalSource eBook only
• 
  Bundle  – A combination of a VitalSource eBook plus a publisher access code

Finally, know your delivery method for the item:

• 
  
  From Publisher – Students access content directly through a publisher tool.
   

• From VitalSource – Content is delivered through the VitalSource LTI (eBooks, access codes, and partner integration courseware).

   

3. Course Matching, Students Page, and Settings

Once you have schedules and items ready to go, we need to know where to send the digital materials!

Every course should be matched to its LMS ID and fully adopted in Connect. Think of the LMS ID as a shipping label that ensures each digital item is delivered to the right place. Aim to have 100% of courses matched before the first day of class. Use the color-coding system on the Courses Page to monitor progress: Teal means ready to go, while Magenta Pink indicates action is still needed.

When it comes to utilizing the Students Page in Connect, filters are your friend. They make it easy to pinpoint specific groups and use the “email students” function at both the course and filter level for targeted outreach. For student communication tools, take advantage of customization options for welcome emails and confirmation emails on the Settings page. You can also align these communications with your broader marketing campaigns to create a consistent and engaging student experience.

Tip: For good measure, review all Connect settings when you are setting up a new term.

4. Reporting and Billing

Take advantage of the self-service reports available in Connect. These reports help you track program details, audit your catalog items, identify potential issues early, and make informed decisions.

 Tip: Regularly check key reports:

• Student Charges & Refund Report shows you all charges and refunds for a catalog.
• Opt-Out Report shows you all opt-out and opt-in detail by student.
• Items and Sections Report  is a full list of items, sections, and pricing in your catalog, including participation status by item.
• Students Report  lets you check student license details, review access codes in bulk, and track license statuses.

The Billing tab in Connect keeps your financial records organized and easy to access. It includes two main views:

The Pending Purchase Orders view shows invoices or credits awaiting finalization, such as census invoices, late opt-out adjustments, or section changes after census. Filter by catalog and email reports as a summary or detail.

The Issued Purchase Orders view lists processed invoices and credits, with filters for catalog, status, and type. Each entry includes key details and can be emailed or viewed in the Statement Center in VitalSource Manage, which serves as a searchable archive for downloading and reconciling all past invoices and credits.

By regularly checking both pending and issued purchase orders, you can stay on top of charges, ensure credits are processed promptly, and keep your program’s finances running smoothly.

Setting Your Program Up for Success

These training videos cover a wide range of topics, but these four key takeaways are essential: planning ahead, maintaining accurate data, using automation wisely, and making the most of your reporting tools. Focusing on these areas creates a smoother experience for staff, faculty, and most importantly, students.

Want to see these strategies in action? Watch the full set of Connect training videos on VS Learn to explore each feature in depth, see live demos, and get step-by-step guidance from our team.