Faculty Guide to Reserve and ERes
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Why choose Reserve?
Reserve services are available through each of our libraries, Main, Art, Conservatory and Science. At Oberlin College these services are heavily used by students needing access to both required and recommended readings. Materials for your classes can be made available through both print and electronic formats at each of the libraries. Reserve procedures and services vary in each library, contact the appropriate reserve supervisor for more information.
Main Reserve Processing Deadlines
Reserve lists (and additions or changes to lists) are processed in the order in which they are received. Rush requests are also processed in the order received.
Please note the following deadlines and faculty and reserve staff responsibilities. The earlier lists are received, the more work can be done by reserve staff.
Fall Semester
July 15th
August 15th
If you've missed a deadline
Spring Semester
If you've missed a deadline ...
Print Reserve
Print reserve includes any physical item you require or recommend that your students use for class. These materials are stored at the Circulation desk in each library; they are processed so that they appear on OBIS under your course where students can check on their availability. Most items circulate for 2, 3 or 5 hours depending on the material type and library.
- Books: Books may be your personal copies or library books.
We will place multiple copies of library books which are not required
student purchases on reserve. In many cases we will also place at
least 1 copy of the "required purchase" books.
- Photocopies: Photocopies are used when the library has not yet been able to obtain the book or journal or as supplemental copies to books or journals already placed on reserve for your course. For advice on creating good photocopies for reserve, see Photocopies for ERes/Reserve (PDF).
- The library will not place items on reserve that violate College
copyright policy or copyright law. For further information, see the Copyright Policy for Library Course Reserves.
- Videos: We will place personal copies on reserve and/or
library videos. See the Main Reserve Video
Policy.
- Audio: Records, tapes and CDs are most often circulated at
the Conservatory Library for in-house use. Please check with the reserve/circulation
desk supervisor in the library that will house your course materials.
- We will also circulate student articles, newspaper clippings, computer disks, or any other item needed for your class to complete their course work. We have different loan periods and circulation options available — contact the reserve/circulation desk supervisor to help you circulate any of your course items.
Electronic Reserve (ERes)
ERes allows your students to access required and/or recommended readings from any networked computer. Having an electronic copy means students can get their hands on the reading when the library isn't open and do not have to compete with fellow students for the copies available for check out.Make your selections of readings to be scanned, links to web sites or electronic journals or choose any other electronic items you want accessed through ERes. See further guidelines about photocopy quality and the specific timelines and services under Main Library, Art, Conservatory and Science.
If you are placing journal articles on ERes, search the Journal Finder to see if we have electronic access (via JSTOR, OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center, etc.). It is faster to place links to articles, the quality of the images are greatest and the question of copyright is more clearly settled.
Most items on ERes are from copies scanned in Adobe Acrobat® .pdf format or links made to electronic journal articles, but the system can accommodate many different electronic formats including audio files. You can use electronic reserve in conjunction with Blackboard, the college's course management system, or as a stand-alone reserve system. In either case the library will help you manage the ERes course. We can have your photocopies converted to Adobe Acrobat® .pdf files, audio clips converted to your desired format, the electronic items put into the course, assist in activating your own electronic files, and help if your class encounters problems accessing the materials.
ERes items are password-protected and accessible 24 hours a day.Activating Reserve Lists
In order to re-activate a reserve list you must contact a reserve staff member in writing.
Copyright Guidelines
Instructors are responsible for insuring copyright compliance. Please note the library will not place items on reserve that violate College copyright policy or copyright law.
See our Copyright Policy for Library Course Reserves for more information.
Loan Periods & Fines
Reserve's priority is to ensure access to required and recommended readings to all the students in any class. In order to facilitate this access to a large number of students, we use short loan periods and high fine rates.
- Most reserve items circulate for 3 hours and are released for overnight
loan at 9 p.m.. (8 p.m. on Friday and Sataurday).
- Materials checked out overnight are due 1 hour after the library opens.
- Other loan periods include: 1 hour, 2 hour, 5 hour, 24 hour, 48 hour and 1 week
- Instructors can designate other loan periods by providing students with a written notice specifying the item and the loan period.
- Fines are $2.00 an hour. Students who pay promptly and bring their fine notice with them will be only be charged half of the total fine.
Please let us know how we can improve reserve services for you and your students.