Course Reserves FAQ

To ensure availability for the first day of classes, all should be submitted by the following dates:

• Fall semester: August 3
• Winter sessions: December 1
• Spring semester: December 15
• Summer session: 4 weeks before the start of the session

Items submitted AFTER these dates will be posted in order of receipt.

You can place just about anything on course reserve!

• Books
• Videos and DVDs
• Audio CDs
• TakeNotes
• Course Packets
• Textbooks (supplied by the instructor or purchased by the library).  Upon request, the library will generally purchase up to 3 copies, or one copy per 50 students, whichever is less.
• Print journal articles can be scanned and placed on electronic reserve.  In addition, online journal holdings can be made available through course reserves.
• Personal copies of books and other materials supplied by the instructor.  Please note: Please do not put irreplacable, fragile or very valuable personal materials on reserve.  The library assumes no liability for loss or damage.  The library places adhesive-backed barcodes on all items on reserve.  If you do not want your personal items barcoded, please speak with the reserves coordinator.  The library will create a covering or case for the material, and place a barcode on the covering.  Please allow extra time for processing.  Personal copies will be returned to you at the end of the term.

If the library does not currently own an item that you would like placed on reserve, we will purchase the item.  Please submit a request for this material just as you would an item that the library does own.

In-Library Reserves are materials that are held at a library's circulation desk or in a designated study room within the library.

• Most libraries offer a choice of loan periods; 2-hour loan is standard, but the loan period can be adjusted to suit the needs of the class.
• There is no limit on the number of items that may be placed on reserve.
• Typically, we will place one copy on reserve for every 20-25 students.  For textbooks and other materials that the students are required to purchase, 1 copy per 50 students.
• If the library does not currently own an item that you would like placed on reserve, we will purchase the item.  Please submit a request for this material just as you would an item that the library does own.

Journal articles, book chapters, syllabi, practice exams, lecture notes and audio files.  Print items may be scanned and uploaded as PDF files, or linked to if they are available through the Library's licensed databases, or if they are open-access resources.

• Electronic items must meet copyright Fair Use guidelines or have the permission of the copyright holder for this type of use.
• Readings must be restricted to members of the class, and access must be terminated at the end of final exams.
• Reproduced (scanned or photocopied) materials should incude proper attribution and include the original work's copyright statement.  If no statement can be found, a standard statement of copyright protection may be used.
• Items found in course packets and excerpts from course packets can be made available electronically without permission from the copyright holder when the faculty member determines that his or her use still qualifies as a fair use.  Otherwise permission should be obtained.  Please note: course packet articles that are available through the Library's licensed databases are usually already licensed for reserve use and links to them may be placed in the e-reserve system.
• For questions specifically dealing with electronic reserves for audio, the Music Library endorses the Statement on the Digital Transmission of Audio Reserves issued by the Music Library Association.

Instructions for accessing In-library Reserves: Students need to locate the library that their course reserves are being held at.  If their instructor has not already told them, they can find this information by searching for their course using Course Help at library.cornell.edu.  Students can search the interface using their course number, course name or instructor's name.

Instructions for accessing Electronic Reserves: Students can access the electronic reserves for their course under the Course Reserves Link on their Course Blackboard site.  Note: only the material that has been placed on reserve through the Library can be accessed via Course Reserves.  Articles or other reading that has been uploaded to Blackboard by the instructor will be found under "other links" on the Course Blackboard site.