Skip to Main Content

Library Reserves

Instructions for Faculty

Course Reserves Policies

Physical, Electronic & Media Course Reserves

  • We put on reserve all copies in all formats of a requested title that the library owns; please specify if edition, translator, etc. have a bearing on which texts you wish to be available on reserve. Please use the Notes to reserves staff comment box to indicate any specifics library staff need to know.
  • For physical materials, a 2-hour loan length will be applied. To choose a longer loan time of 4 or 24 hours, use the Notes to reserves staff comment in the right pane.
  • Reserve requests are processed at the subject area's corresponding library location. Arts & Sciences: Baker-Berry, Business and Engineering: Feldberg, Biomedical: Dana and Matthews-Fuller. The reserve physical materials circulate from that location unless a different location is requested using the Notes to reserves staff comment box.
  • DVD requests are digitized, and the streaming copy posted to Panopto. Access to Panopto is through Canvas. Physical DVDs are not placed on reserve.
  • Plan for a six to twelve week ordering process for items the library does not currently own. Contact your subject librarian, https://www.library.dartmouth.edu/directory/subject-librarians, in advance if you wish to order new items the library does not currently own. Items the library does not own may be added to the reserve requests by using the "Blank form" option.
  • Be selective when choosing material to be placed on reserve. Restrict reserve requests to required assignments only. "Suggested readings" usually remain unused.
  • Items posted online must be owned or licensed by Dartmouth College Library or a College department.
  • Materials belonging to other institutions such as those borrowed through BorrowDirect or Interlibrary Loan cannot be placed on reserve. You can request portions of these books be scanned through your reserve list by selecting Type : Book chapter. See Requesting an item be scanned.
  • Always consider copyright when requesting items to be posted online, as when library staff scan a chapter to post as a PDF. Faculty are responsible for determining Fair Use or not.  For more information, see below.

The library will not scan materials such as workbooks, course packs, significant portions of current editions of textbooks, etc. These materials are created and marketed primarily for use in the type of course being offered, and therefore are not covered by Fair Use exceptions to copyright law.

 

Guaranteed List Processing

  • You received an email with the pre-term guaranteed course reserve deadline. Lists received by this deadline will be available on the first day of classes. Exceptions to the guarantee would be items that have to be ordered, recalled from borrowers or are missing. Course reserve requests submitted late, after pre-term deadlines, may not be processed in time for students to access at the start of term.
  • We process course reserve requests  in the order in which they are received.
  • Once a list is completely processed, library staff will alert you of any problems, changes, or missing items from your list.

 

Placing Personal Materials on Reserve

 

  • Your personal or departmental books may be placed on reserve, but we cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage. For circulation purposes, we affix a non-removable barcode sticker to the back cover. Please write your complete name inside the front cover of the book.
  • At the end of each term, personal items that have been placed on reserve must be picked up. If the items have not been picked up by the start of the next term, they will be discarded or added to the library's collection, as the library does not have storage facilities for personal books and copies.

 

The Basics of Copyright

Some materials may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, United States Code) as "Fair Use." Always consider copyright when requesting items to be posted online. Faculty are responsible for determining Fair Use or not.
Library staff will attempt to get copyright permission from the rightsholder if faculty determine the request is not "Fair Use."

For more information, see: https://www.library.dartmouth.edu/scholarly-communication/copyright-resources

The library will not scan materials such as workbooks, course packs, significant portions of current editions of textbooks, etc. These materials are created and marketed primarily for use in the type of course being offered, and therefore are not covered by Fair Use exceptions to copyright law.

 

For questions about copyright and fair use, please contact Library Reserve staff or the Office of Scholarly Communication, Copyright and Publishing.