How can I put books on reserve for my class?

Faculty may place items on physical or electronic course reserve to support classroom instruction.

• Course Reserve Request Forms (requires Portal login to view)

• Course Reserve Copyright Guidelines

What Can be Placed on Course Reserve?

Books, journal articles, CDs and DVDs may be placed on physical course reserve at the Library’s Circulation Desk. Reference materials, materials from other libraries or rental services, and entire journal issues cannot be placed on reserve. The Library cannot place the same materials on electronic and physical course reserve at the same time.

Syllabi, sample tests, guides, class notes, articles, and book chapters may be scanned for electronic course reserves. Most class materials are password protected. Passwords will be emailed to you once the materials are online.

The Library will place faculty-owned items on reserve but cannot be responsible for lost or damaged materials.

What Can Be Digitized for Electronic Course Reserve?

Fair use copyright guidelines allow us to digitize complete journal articles and poems and approximately 10% of a book. Library staff will create direct links to online resources available through databases licensed to the St. Mary’s Library.

How Do I Submit a Course Reserves Request?

Course Reserve request forms must be submitted through the St. Mary’s Portal.

If your request includes library-owned materials, please include complete call numbers. If your request includes materials personally owned by you, drop these materials off at the Circulation Desk and be sure to include your name and course number.

How Long Will It Take to Process a Course Reserves Request?

The earlier you submit request forms and materials the better! Library staff will try to process requests within 48 hours of receiving materials. The Library receives the largest volume of Course Reserve requests just before and after the beginning of each semester. All requests are processed in the order in which they are received.

How Can I Make Changes to Items on Course Reserves?

You may change the loan period, add items, or remove items from Course Reserves at any time by contacting Cheryl Colson. To give a student or other faculty member permission to use a Course Reserve item for longer than the loan period, please contact the Library’s Circulation Desk at (240) 895-4264.

What Happens to Course Reserves at the End of the Semester?

At the end of each semester all personal items will be removed from Course Reserves and returned to you. Electronic Course Reserves will be archived and no longer available online.

To re-activate previous Course Reserve items for an upcoming semester, email Cheryl Colson with the previous and upcoming course names and numbers, and the titles of the items to be re-activated.