Course Reserves

What Are Course Reserves?

Instructors that have required reading or other materials in their classes can have a copy of those materials available at the library for students to check out for short periods of time. This check-out time generally ranges from two to twenty-four hours. Putting these materials on Course Reserves can enable students to access the necessary material while saving them money. Instructors need to request the library put any items on Course Reserves, following the guidelines below.

How Do I Submit Materials?

All materials must be accompanied by a completed Reserve Request Form which includes the instructor name, class, and loan information. Please include the title of the materials on the form in the same manner as it appears in your syllabus. The form can be filled out above or you can visit the library to complete a paper copy.

What Type of Materials Can be Added to Traditional Reserves?

Book, audiocassettes, videocassettes, DVDs, CD-ROMs, including library copies or personal copies, study guides, sample exams, etc. We do not add entire periodical issues from the library's collection to the reserve collection as our periodicals do not circulate from the building. We can not add materials owned by other libraries. However, if you see materials that other libraries have which we do not, we can order those materials for our library. Those copies of the materials can then go on Course Reserves.

What Copyright Requirements Must Be Met?

All materials for the reserve collection must meet copyright guidelines. The Library will not place materials on reserve if it judges that the nature, scope, or extent of the material is beyond the reasonable limits of the Fair Use Guidelines of the Copyright Law. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to ensure the material meets the guidelines and to obtain permission to use copyrighted materials. The faculty member must agree to the following statements:

1. I acknowledge having read the Jim Dan Hill Library's reserve copyright guidelines and agree that the materials I submit are in compliance with this interpretation of the US Copyright Law.
2. When required, I received permission from the copyright holder to provide access to the material I am submitting.

How Long Will It Take?

Materials submitted for reserve will be available within three days (Monday-Friday) of receipt in the Library. Please note that the beginning of the semester is very busy and additional processing time (1 week+) may be needed. Materials will be processed in the order they are received.

Can I Submit Personal Copies?

Yes, personal copies can go on Reserve. Be aware: you place personal items on Course Reserves at your own risk. The library is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items. The Library can request the patron return lost items but we cannot demand payment or item replacement from students for lost items that are not owned by the Library. Please also make sure you are obeying any Copyright and Fair Use guidelines, including viewing or distribution rights for DVDs.

When Can I Submit Materials?

Materials may be submitted at any time prior to or during the semester.  Please note on the form the term for which the material is to be available.

To Whom Should I Submit Materials?

The Reserve Request Form(s) may be filled out below or at the Public Services Desk. Materials may also be dropped off at the Public Service Desk.

The Library offers the following Rules of Thumb as an interpretation of the fair use guidelines:

1. Limit reserve materials to:
• materials that a faculty member or the library already possesses legally (i.e., by purchase, license, fair use, etc.);
• a small part of the materials required for the course.
2. Include:
• any copyright notice on the original;
• appropriate citations and attributions to the source.
3. Limit access to:
• students enrolled in the class and
• library staff as needed.
4. Limit the amount of time a material is on reserve. Materials are added to the reserve collection for one semester only. Obtain permission for materials that will be used again by the same instructor for the same course or for more substantial portions of works. If you must ask for permission, ask for the broadest scope you can get.

— The above information has been adapted from the University of Wisconsin- Madison policy and the University of Texas System, Office of General Counsel.

Information on obtaining copyright permission is available from the Copyright Clearance Center, at http://www.copyright.com.

As an alternate to obtaining permission for reuse or use of substantial portions of copyrighted materials, instructors may want to consider merely providing citations and/or permalinks to material found through the library.

To meet copyright guidelines, all materials will be removed from the reserves collections at the end of each semester or at the conclusion of the course. Faculty owned materials from the traditional reserves collection can be picked up at the Public Services Desk three weeks after the end of the semester. Arrangements may be made to pick up materials prior to this by contacting the reserves staff (Natalie Shepard, 715-394-8569).

Materials not picked up will be added to the Library's collection per our collection development policy or will be discarded.

Faculty having material on reserve for the current semester will be notified at the end of the semester and asked if they wish to retain materials for the next semester. The Library will retain material for subsequent semesters if requested and assumes that the faculty requesting this has received the appropriate copyright permission.