Copyright Compliance for Faculty and Staff: Electronic Course Reserves

• Faculty may place materials on reserve when they want to assure availability of required reading for all students enrolled in a particular course.  Reserves may also be used as a way to induce students to familiarize themselves with library services.  

• For the convenience of both residential and online learners, remote access is available for reserves in electronic format.

Can I use reserves to verify that my students are doing their assignments? No. Observance of patron privacy is a strict tenet of the Johnson & Wales University Library Patron Confidentiality Policy.

What materials may be placed on reserve? Any materials in the Johnson & Wales University Library collection may be placed on reserve, including books, videos, DVDs, newspaper and journal articles. Articles and chapters of books in J&W databases or on the World Wide Web may also be placed on reserve in electronic format. (Some limitations may apply.) A paper copy of each item in electronic format will be kept at the Circulation Desk.

Note: The Library does not generally purchase course textbooks; therefore, faculty should not assume that textbooks are automatically available at the Library. Faculty may have personal copies of textbooks placed on reserve.

Do I need to submit a reserve request form? A completed Electronic & Paper Reserves Form (56K PDF) must accompany each reserve request. Required information includes instructor's name, contact data, course name and number, duration of reserve, length of borrowing period. For electronic format, include the number of expected users (of the electronic format).

How much processing time is required? A minimum of 2 weeks is required. Ample advance notice before the beginning of a term assures availability of reserve materials for students at the start of classes.

Are there special procedures for requesting electronic reserves? For speed and convenience of access, journal and newspaper articles should be kept to fewer than 10 pages in length. Articles or book chapters to be scanned and converted from paper to PDF format should be submitted as clean, legible, single-sided photocopies with a minimum of graphics, shaded boxes, or photographs. A paper copy of each item in electronic format will be kept at the Circulation Desk.

How long will the materials stay on reserve? The instructor requesting the reserve should indicate the number of terms that the item is to remain on reserve. The Library will maintain reserves for up to one school year. Instructors will be contacted toward the end of the spring term to determine the status of reserve items and to make arrangements for return of personal copies.

Who handles copyright compliance? The Library will handle all formalities of obtaining appropriate permissions. If these permissions are denied, the Library will remove the materials from reserve and contact the instructor. For additional information, please contact librarians Betty Anne Nelson, 401-598-1842 or Lisa Helwig-Payne, 401-598-1408.

What should I tell my students about access to reserves? Instructors should acquaint students with the "Course Reserve" search feature of the HELIN Catalog by pointing them to Circulation/Reserves.

How do I remove reserves? When reserved materials are no longer needed for a particular class, download and print the Remove from Reserve Form (32K PDF), and submit in person or by fax (401-598-2834) to Lisa Helwig-Payne, Access Services Coordinator.