When faculty want to make an item available for a class assignment, they can put the item on reserve so that it is available to the entire class for short check out periods at the Circulation counter.

Browse Course Reserves

Frequently Asked Questions

Reserve materials are available to:

  • Students (currently enrolled)
  • Faculty
  • Staff

Print reserve items are stamped with either a 2 hour or 24 hour due date.

Items must be returned to the Circulation counter. If the library is closed, items may be deposited through the exterior return bin in the library breezeway to the left of the entrance.

Items may be renewed in person, and only by the patron who originally checked out the item, if no one else has requested the item.

Overdue items will incur a fine of $1.00 per item per hour, including when the library is closed.

The maximum overdue fine is $50.00 per item.

If an item is lost or damaged it is subject to overdue fines, plus a replacement fee and a processing fee.

The replacement fee is the average cost for the item as determined by the library.

The processing fee is $10.00 per item.

If a fine or replacement fee over $4.99 is not paid, patrons will be blocked from checking out items from the library.

If a fine or replacement fee over $29.99 is not paid, patrons will be blocked from registering or acquiring transcripts.

Reserve Information for Faculty

Bring in personal holdings (books, binders, videos) or library owned material to be put on reserve for your course to the Circulation counter and fill out the form appropriate to the material.

Items are held for the academic year. At the end of the year, a communication is sent to each faculty member regarding their reserve collection. Faculty can indicate which items they want to remain on reserve for another year.

Copyright and Permissions to use Copyrighted Material Federal copyright law (Title 17, "Copyrights" of the United States Code) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act govern the material that may be put on reserve, who may access the material, and the amount of time the material may remain within the system.

Copyright Guidelines for Placing Copies of Material on Reserves

These guidelines are based upon interpretations of Title 17, "Copyrights" of the United States Code and are intended to serve as minimum standards for placing reproduced copies ("copies") of items, for which copyrighted original and/or commercially available items exist, on library reserve. Specific exceptions/restrictions may apply that are not covered herein in entirety, and faculty should consult with the supervisor of the Library Reserve Unit and the Head of Library Access Services. Faculty are encouraged to seek permission from copyright holders for possible exceptions to these guidelines.

General Policy

Placing copies of copyrighted original commercially available material on reserve cannot:

  • generate the effect of negating the commercial sale of the material.
  • violate copyright law, whether or not the material is commercially available.
General Provisions
  • Copies on reserve status cannot serve as a substitute for the purchase of materials that are commercially available.
  • Copies of material that is commercially available cannot be continuously maintained on reserve.
  • Copies of material that remains protected by copyright but is not commercially available cannot be continuously maintained on reserve status.

The "Fair Use" provision of the Copyright Law (Sections 107) allows copies of copyrighted original commercially available material items to be placed on library reserve under specified circumstances. The following provisions are intended to ensure adherence to the fair use doctrine and apply to copies of items intended for library reserve in Meriam Library:

  1. Print Format
    1. Book chapters:
      1. One chapter from books with 5 or fewer chapters.
      2. Three chapters from books with 6 or more chapters.
    2. Newspapers: one article.
    3. Periodical or compilation (annual review, festschrift, anthology, etc.): one article.
    4. One short story, essay, poem by one author(s) whether or not from a collective work.
    5. One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, picture from a book, periodical or newspaper.
  2. Nonprint Format (Audio. Visual. Audiovisual)
    • The copied portion intended for library reserve must constitute an excerpt of the original work and cannot encompass the majority of the original work in length or scope. Consequently, a copy of the original in its entirety cannot be placed on library reserve.
    • Television: Exceptions apply to recordings from commercial television. Television recordings may include an entire telecast, but (except for news broadcasts) are restricted to a maximum of 10 days on reserve status.
Time Limitation

Copies of items commercially available and/or copyrighted (without permission of copyright holder) cannot remain on reserve for consecutive semesters, including summer terms.

Copyright Notice

A notice of copyright must be placed at the beginning of the copied material if the material is covered by copyright protection.

Further Information? Please contact us for further statutory and interpretative information on copying for library reserve.

Student-created papers or media projects require the student to sign a release form [PDF] before being placed on reserve.