Course reserves are reference & supplemental course material placed behind the circulation desk by course instructor request. These items have short-term loan periods as stated in the library catalog. Patrons may view course reserves for their course(s) here. If you have more questions about the library and class textbooks, please see below.
Loan Policy
- One course reserve item may be checked-out per patron.
- Course reserves are not renewable.
- Overdues: Hourly items/$1/hour, Daily items/$2/day.
- Items are first come, first serve.
- No advanced holds or recalls. Wait listing is possible if item has already been checked out.
Wait List
If a course reserve item has been checked out, placement on a waiting list may be requested. Once the item has been returned, wait-listed individuals will be contacted and the item will be held for 15 minutes for pickup.
Overnight Lending
If course reserve items are borrowed 30 minutes before the library closes, they may be borrowed overnight. Such overnight items are due the first hour of the next opening day.
Release From Course Reserves
Items are placed on course reserves per course instructors each semester. Items are automatically released from course reserves at the end of the semester. Only course instructors may request early release (and re-placement).
Why doesn't the library have more copies of textbooks or process document delivery/interlibrary loan requests for textbooks?
The library is generally unable to supply required class textbooks for students outside of one copy for course reserves when requested by faculty.
- One of the library's main purposes is to supply a wide breadth of materials for research and study. Purchasing multiple copies of textbooks limits those resources.
- Purchasing textbooks is part of a college student's usual expenses, along with paying tuition, dorm/rental expenses, and buying school supplies.
- Few academic libraries purchase the most current edition of textbooks that instructors require, and when they do, it is also on course reserves for their own students.
- The lending periods of other libraries are generally shorter than an entire semester that the textbook is needed.
- The library allows 'recalls' of books to ensure equitable access of library books to all students, therefore a student is unlikely to be able to keep a popular book for an entire semester.
- For eTextbooks, publishers want individual student customers, thus they generally do not sell eTextbooks to libraries in a way that allows multiple students to use it.
- Faculty may use online exercises from textbooks that require individual access codes from individual purchase.
