Course Reserves for Instructors

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Haggard Hall 228

jenny.oleen@wwu.edu
(360) 650-2613

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Joanna Bailey
Course Reserves Manager
course.reserves@wwu.edu
(360) 650-7593

About Course Reserves

Western Libraries will provide and manage access to instructor-requested course material, which may include physical books, journals, DVDs, electronic books, scanned book chapters and journal articles from the Libraries’ print collection, and links to library-licensed streaming video and journal articles.

Traditional course reserves can comprise any or all of the following:

  • Print texts and journals (digital copies may be substituted when available)
  • DVDs and other analog media
  • Library-licensed ebooks
  • Library-licensed Articles (see note on requesting non-library articles)
    • This excludes Harvard Business Review .  We are unable to include electronic copies of course packs, links to non-library external content, links to online Harvard Business Review content (articles may be scanned from Western Libraries’ print holdings), and material borrowed from other libraries.
  • Library-licensed streaming videos
  • Book chapters and articles scanned from the library’s print collection
  • Students can view physical reserves availability and access electronic material via a library-managed ‘Library Resources’ tab on the class Canvas page, as in this sample Canvas reserves list.

Instructors may also request purchase of materials not currently owned by the Libraries, or submit personal materials for course reserves. Personal items will have barcode and call number labels applied. Instructors may pick up personal reserve items at the library circulation desk at the end of each quarter. (Staff will attempt to assure the security of any personal items on reserve, but we cannot guarantee against or assume responsibility for the theft, loss, or damage of personal items.)

Students can access course reserves lists and view physical reserves availability via a library-managed ‘Library Resources’ tab on the class Canvas page, as in this sample Canvas reserves list. Loan periods are of relatively short duration to maximize student access; books and journals can be checked out for either 1 day, 3 days, or 7 days; digital loans (when available) are 2 hours. The loan period for DVDs and other media is 1 day, and checked out items may be taken out of the library.

Library-managed course reserves links are periodically checked for errors and updated if necessary. Resources shared via the Library Resources tab ‘expire’ at the end of the quarter used, and instructors must request renewal to continue use. Some items may be subject to licensing or copyright restrictions and are ineligible for reuse.

Note on requesting non-library articles.

Use ILLiad to request non-library articles which are delivered to you in PDF form, and are not suitable for persistent linking.

Request Traditional Reserves

 

FAQ

Course reserves are items (books, DVDs, chapter scans, journal articles, ebooks and streaming media) that are needed to support instruction and coursework for specific classes at Western that Western Libraries makes available to all current WWU faculty, students and staff. Traditional course reserves lists are added to Canvas by library staff, and periodically monitored for access or technical problems.

Course instructors, faculty members, or their representatives may submit reserve requests. Students may not place materials on course reserves unless acting on behalf of their instructor.

We can usually borrow or purchase the materials you need to support your class.  You can request materials for the collection.  

  • While you may reserve material at any time, the sooner we receive your request list the better. In general, lists are processed in the order received.
  • Requests for newly-scanned materials may take up to 7 days to complete. Obtaining permissions or licenses for copyrighted content may also add to processing time.
  • Requests for scanned selections from new items may result in additional processing time. Items not currently owned by the library that need to be purchased can take two or more weeks to arrive and be processed.
  • When an instructor submits a Course Reserves Request, a library materials list is created and added to the Canvas page. This can happen even if the instructor is not using Canvas for the course.The list includes direct links to all electronic reserve items and call numbers of physical reserves.
  • If the instructor is teaching multiple sections of the same course, each section will have a separate page in Canvas (unless cross-listed by the instructor), each of which will have a ‘Library Resources’ navigation tab added.
  • The ‘Library Resources’ tab on the Canvas page navigation menu must be enabled for students to access the reserves list; this is the ONLY way students can access electronic items. Course reserves staff have limited admin access to Canvas course pages, and if requested, can "publish" the course on your behalf.
  • Students will access electronic reserves through the Canvas course listing for their specific course. Within their course in Canvas, there is a ‘Library Resources’ tab which will include the links to all electronic reserves for this course, plus location information for physical reserve items.
  • Please note: The ‘Library Resources' tab on the Canvas page navigation menu must be enabled for students to access the reserves list; this is the ONLY way students can access electronic items. Course reserves staff have limited admin access to Canvas course pages, and if requested, can "publish" the course on your behalf.