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Course Reserves: Reserve for Instructors

This guide explains the policies and procedures of Course Reserves for Instructors and Students

General Information

  • Instructors may place physical or electronic course materials on reserve for student to read or watch.

  • Books and media borrowed by you from Summit or obtained through InterLibrary Loan may not be placed on reserve.

  • Reserve materials will be removed from reserve at the end of each semester, if not renewed. It is the instructor's responsibility to initiate a renewal request, which can be done by submitting a new online reserve request form. Materials owned by WSU Libraries must be returned to regular circulation during any semester in which the course is not being taught.

  • Personal items cannot be protected from the wear and tear of heavy use.  Personal copies must be marked and barcoded for use with our circulation system. The library cannot assume responsibility for replacing personal copies which are stolen or damaged. 

  • We cannot put any unauthorized reproduction of a book, video or CD on reserve. All reserve materials must be lawfully acquired or purchased copies.

Hard Copy Reserves

Hard Copy reserves include library books, personal books, library media, and personal media.  Instructors may choose the circulation period of these items* (2 hour in library use only, 2 hour may leave the library, 1 day, 3 day, 7 day). 

*If the instructor declines to choose a loan period the Reserves Unit will default item loan period to 2 hour in library use only.

Electronic Reserves

E-reserves may consist of articles, book excerpts, chapters, links to online resources, notes, old exams, syllabi and other course materials.

Canvas is required for use of e-reserves, as students must authenticate through Canvas and click a link to access the course reserves program. Instructors who wish to use e-reserves should submit their reserve requests to the library using the online course reserves request form and set up the Course Reserves Reading List in Canvas.

Citation Information

  • Requests for material to be placed on reserve must include full citations in order for WSU Libraries staff to identify and/or retrieve the correct items.
  • If a reproduction of an item is provided by an instructor the following copyright information MUST be provided.  Reserve requests will need: the title page, the copyright notice (usually on the verso of the title page), and a copy of the article or chapter to be uploaded to Reserves.

Copyright Considerations

  • In all cases, a lawfully obtained copy will be used as the basis for an electronic reserves item. When possible, when an item that is not part of the Libraries' collections is digitized and placed on electronic reserves, the Libraries will purchase, obtain a copy or make use of Fair Use provisions (codified in Section 107 of the Copyright Act). 
  • A maximum of 20 items per class that require copyright permission to be obtained may be placed on electronic reserves.
  • No more than 25 percent of a book may be digitized and placed on electronic reserves
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