Reserve

What is Reserve?

Reserve items are required or recommended readings shared by all members of a class. Professors and instructors identify books, scores, periodical articles, recordings, homework assignments, videos, or other materials that are shelved in a central, secure location in each library on campus. Reserve materials have a short loan period (typically 3 hours during the day) to insure that all students have equal access.

Note: required textbooks, in general, are not on reserve.

How do you know what is on Reserve?

OBIS lists reserve materials by course and by professor/instructor; electronic materials for some courses can be accessed via ERes. More information about ERes.

Who may borrow reserve materials?

Anyone with a valid Oberlin College ID may borrow items from any course reserve. Courtesy borrowers must be enrolled in the class, or obtain written permission from the course instructor before borrowing reserve materials for that course. Borrowing privileges must be arranged by a circulation supervisor.

Loan Periods

Reserve policies are meant to ensure the greatest access to class materials to the greatest number of students.

Most items may be borrowed during the day for three hours only. Typically, if you check out an item within three hours of the library's closing, it may be borrowed for overnight use, and must be returned within one hour of the library's opening time the following day. In the Main Library, for example, overnight checkout generally begins at 11 p.m. and items are due the following morning at 11 a.m. (checkout on Sunday–Thursday, return on Monday-Friday). Overnight loan periods vary on weekends. Whether the item must be used within the library or may be taken out varies in each campus library. The type of material and course for which it is on reserve also helps determine whether the item may leave the library for overnight use.

Some reserve items may be borrowed for a 24-hour period or even longer, regardless of the time of checkout, but those are exceptions to the general rule. ALWAYS determine the exact date and time reserve materials are due before you leave the reserve counter.

Reserve items must be returned to the main library reserve counter or branch library circulation desk from which you borrowed them. Items returned to the wrong location may result in overdue fines.

Overdue notices are emailed or sent to student mail boxes each morning; contact the library as soon as possible if you believe our records are incorrect. It is important that you check your email and OCMR mail box regularly and frequently, especially when you have borrowed library materials.

Fine Rates & Payment

All reserve items are subject to cumulative overdue fines of $2.00 per hour, per item. We revoke reserve loan privileges if your total fines exceed $150. The fine policy is not meant to be punitive! Our goal is to encourage you to remember to return materials on time so that all members of your class will have access to the material. Note that the library does not benefit directly from funds collected through its fine policies; all fine money is deposited in a general college fund. You can avoid potentially steep fines by simply returning materials on time.

Fine notices are emailed every Monday–Friday during the academic year. You have 15 days from the time the notice is produced to either pay the fine at a 50% discount or appeal the fine. Take your fine notice with you to the issuing library to pay or appeal your fine.

Fine Appeals

Do not hesitate to contact the library if you realize that you will be unavoidably late in returning library materials of any kind. We are more likely to reduce your fine or waive it entirely if you take a proactive approach by contacting us before the fines begin to accrue, to explain the situation. Fine appeals must be made within 15 days of the date of the original fine notice, to the reserve supervisor in the library from which you borrowed the materials.

Honor Code

As noted in the The Student Handbook in the section on Regulations, Policies and Procedures: "Destruction, hiding and improper removal or retention of library materials with the intent of denying others access to those materials also constitutes a violation of the Honor Code."

For the library's purposes, we note this statement: "the purpose of the Honor System shall be to maintain a high standard of honor in respect to all curricular work," and extend that meaning to include a high standard of honor in the use of library materials. The library has supported the academic community for more than 150 years and can continue to do so through the goodwill of all community members. Using the collection with care and in accordance with library policies will help preserve the collection for all of its present and future users.

Judicial Proceedings

The library reserves the right to initiate judicial proceedings against students who show consistent disregard for library policies, through repeated offenses, lack of response to library notices or other actions that interfere with others' use of the collections. For more information about judicial proceedings consult the Student Handbook.