Reserve Services
The purpose of placing materials on reserve is to make common readings readily available to students in a short amount of time. Reserves also allow a faculty member to provide students with controlled access to items not in the Library's own collection, such as personal copies. Faculty members may place items on either print reserve or electronic reserve (e-reserves).
Placing an Item on Reserve
Library or personal copies of books and media and copyright compliant photocopies may be placed on reserve. The following guidelines should be used when placing items on reserve:
- Space is limited on the reserve shelves, so only those materials that are required reading, viewing, or listening for coursework are put on reserve. Items which are recommended but not required reading should not be placed on reserve.
- Non-circulating items such as reference books, periodicals, government documents, and special collections items will not be placed on reserve.
Summit and ILL materials will not be placed on reserve - no exceptions
- Textbooks will be placed on reserve only when the bookstore has insufficient copies to meet demand and additional copies are on order.
- Items may not remain on reserve indefinitely. All items are removed from reserve at the end of each term.
Please complete a Reserve Request Form, listing all items you will be placing on reserve. Professors may choose to place items on reserve for the following loan periods:
- 3 hours library use only
- 3 hours overnight (students may check out items after 9:00 P.M. and return them by 9:00 A.M. the following day)
- 1 day
To guarantee that your materials are available for the beginning of the semester, submit them no later than two weeks before the first day of classes. Once the semester has begun, allow at least four days for processing.
Materials to be placed on e-reserve that are already in an electronic format may be emailed to Jen Johnson. Materials to be scanned should be accompanied by a reserve request form and should be brought to the circulation desk and given to the Circulation Supervisor on duty.
Materials that can be Placed on Reserve
- Library books, videos, CDs and DVDs
Please gather together the library materials you would like on reserve for your courses. Reference books and periodicals do not circulate outside the library and are not normally placed on reserve.
- Books not owned by the library
The library will attempt to purchase books needed for reserve use. You may request them by contacting the Acquisitions Department. Please be sure to indicate that the item is for reserve and the course number.
- Personal books, videos, CDs and DVDs
Personal copies may be placed on reserve if the library does not own it. Please mark these with your name.
Note: Personal copies must be marked and barcoded for use with our circulation system. The library cannot assume liability for materials that are worn, torn, mutilated, or stolen.
- Photocopies
Faculty are responsible for providing clean, single-sided, unstapled photocopies. Photocopies must include a Reserve Request Form and a full bibliographic citation. The library subscribes to a number of databases that allow stable links to desired journal and newspaper articles. The library will link to materials through library databases when possible.
Materials submitted without the above documentation will not be processed for reserve use.
View a Reserve List
You can search for your reserve lists in the online catalog by instructor, or course. As soon as items are placed on reserve, they will appear in the catalog.
Reserves and Copyright
Note that putting copies of articles or chapters on reserve may violate U.S. copyright laws. In some cases, faculty members should request permission from the publisher. Most publications contain information indicating the copyright holder. Addresses of the publisher are usually listed in the front of the copyrighted material. If you need help determining copyright owner or publisher address, please ask for help at the Reference Desk.
Permissions should be requested in the following situations:
- The material placed on Reserve is being used for more than one semester
- If you wish to put more than a brief amount of copyrighted material on Reserve
Questions? Please contact Jen Johnson.
