EReserves
Cover Page
Form Letter
Copyright
Faculty Services

Faculty Information
Electronic Reserves (EReserves) System

version 2007.6.21a

Materials on reserve (physically or online) are listed for searching by the course code (such as ENGL 1213) OR the name of the instructor (last name, first name). Use these to check your reserves.

How the Boreham Library Electronic Reserve (EReserves) System Works

The Electronic Reserves (EReserves) System has three functions:

Reserving Physical Materials in the Library

Instructors may place materials already owned by this Library or materials loaned to the Library by the instructor on reserve to control the access to the materials, by a limited number of days or in-library use only.
Materials may also be placed on reserve without changing the circulation period, simply for the convenience of being listed.

Materials may not normally be borrowed from any other source and placed on reserve here (under copyright. This is legally viewed as a way to avoid purchasing materials.

Materials must be ORIGINAL copies. The Library may place photocopies in the Reserve Room for actual use, but the original material must be present in the Library.

Existing materials may be placed on reserve by sending an email or by contacting Tina Brown (7214) at the library. This may be done for several reasons:

  • To allow easy access for students by searching the reserve system by instructor or class for all available formats of materials (books, videos, sound recordings, web sites, etc.)

  • To keep the material available in the Library at all times for assignments for the entire class, or viewing for students who missed the class, except when checked out for a short period for class use by the instructor.
    Please note: instructors are urged to put materials on reserve, rather than check materials out to keep in an office until used in the classroom, because:
    • It allows materials to be used by other instructors
    • It allows students to 'catch up' with viewing when classes are missed
    • It helps the Library comply with mandatory state inventory procedures.

  • Reserves can increase the use of the material by limiting the checkout period to a shorter than usual time, so that more students have a chance to access the material.
    Normal checkout period is 21 days for books, 7 days for audio-visual materials.
    Reserve checkouts may be: Library use only, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, or 7 days. Discuss other periods with library staff.

  • Reserves may also provide access to materials not conveniently circulated in a normal library process, such as Powerpoint presentations, class notes, examinations, assignments, etc.

When placing materials on reserve, please specify:

  • The full name of the instructor(s) (more than one instructor is possible)
  • the class complete with number that the material is for
  • the semester that the materials are to be kept on reserve

Note: it does take time to set physical materials up in the Reserve system. One week (not counting weekends) advance notice is customary; in certain situations, limited materials may be set up in 48 hours.
Materials should not be assigned until they are shown as available in the library's online catalog.

Materials not owned by the library may be brought in for loan to the Circulation Desk to be placed with a completed reserve form. Please remember that tracking the materials requires a barcode and other labels on the materials. If this is not acceptable, please discuss the matter with a librarian.
When practical, and as time and funds permit, loaned materials will be replaced with library purchases.

Materials already in the Library collection may be specified for reserve status.
Materials already in the Reference or other non-circulating collections may be placed on reserve but will not necessarily be moved to the reserve room. It will appear in the library online catalog as being on reserve under the class and instructor, with the normal location.

Putting Web Sites in the Reserve System

Please check the Copyright Guidelines for University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Faculty.

Both instructors' personal sites and open (free) sites on the World Wide Web may be placed in the Electronic Reserve System and attached to individual instructor names and courses, to facilitate students finding the sites.
Searches under the Course or the Instructor will list everything including physical materials, electronic reserves, and web sites all in the same search results.

Please allow adequate time to confirm and catalog web sites.
The URL for the site, the Course name and number, and the Instructor's name should be included in an email to the Technical Services Librarian.

Advance notice is required; in certain situations, one or two sites may be set up in 48 hours. The URL must be confirmed (search it personally) before sending it; often changes since publication may take place, which invalidate the original URL. It may then be copied and pasted it directly into the email. The site will appear under the instructor's name in the library online catalog when ready. The name of the site in the record may differ somewhat from the previous or popular name; if this might be a source of confusion, the additional title(s) may be included in the record upon request.

Special feature: If there is an assignment attached to a site, the instructions for the assignment may be emailed along with the site information. This can be placed in the catalog record for the site to make it easier for students to find.

The URL will be checked regularly for a valid link. Corrections will be made if possible. In the event of a permanently broken link, the instructor will be notified.

Providing Materials via Electronic Access (EReserves) through the Web

Placing Materials on EReserves

Please note the following:

  • ALL materials (with or without copyright) for the Electronic Reserve System must have the Cover Page for Electronic Reserve Materials completed by the faculty member(s). This should be completed and submitted on top of any paper materials, or copy-and-pasted to the email with the attached file of materials. The proper citation according to the department's designated style guide may be used.
    At least one faculty contact must be listed for all materials, even if used by everyone in a program or multiple sections of a class. ALL faculty members using the material are preferred.
    In the event of changes in the URL from a linked article, it may be necessary to use this information to re-locate the article under the new URL, so complete information is vital.

  • Materials available via our online databases or on the open World Wide Web will be linked, rather than scanned in. This avoids having to obtain copyright permission for the change in format, as the material is available directly online, and usually provides a more legible copy.

  • Materials created by faculty (notes, tests, etc.) should be clearly marked as such, with the instructor's name. Original faculty-created materials do not require outside copyright permission.

  • Faculty are responsible for obtaining permission from the copyright holder to place materials on EReserves. The volume of material involved, especially at the beginning of semesters, precludes the Library staff from handling all of it.

  • The Library will scan in textual materials from the original print for online access via EReserves for up to ONE semester while the instructor applies for permission to have the material in EReserves. Please REMEMBER that this is a "good faith" effort, and faculty MUST be actively seeking permission from the copyright owner during the semester.

  • The Library requires permission IN ADVANCE for audio or motion files (mp3, wav, mov, avi). This is a difficult area of copyright law where permission is less frequently given, and so caution is indicated.
    Materials may, however, be linked to an existing site, or in the case of open source or Creative Commons licenses, discussed with the Technical Services Librarian.

  • If permission is refused, or the terms required are unacceptable, the Library must be notified IMMEDIATELY so that the material can be removed.

  • If copyright permission is not obtained by the end of the semester, the Library will remove the material permanently from the EReserves. It will not be put on EReserves again, not even for one more semester, until permission is on file here at the Library.

  • When the copyright owner returns the signed permission form, the completed form must be forwarded to the Library to be kept on file.

  • EReserves should not be considered a substitute for the purchase of books or subscriptions, or other materials required for educational purposes.
    It is preferred that the library own/subscribe to the material in question BEFORE requesting permission. Please check the catalog or Journal Locator for current holdings.

  • E-reserve materials scanned from paper should be limited to small portions -- usually single articles or chapters, or less -- of each individual copyrighted work. If you need more material from a single source (book, journal issue, etc.), you MUST have permission beforehand.

  • Original prints of materials ONLY can be accepted. Photocopies or printouts of articles, etc., will not be accepted except to help us find a link online. If the original is not owned or licensed here, we already know we do not have the right to provide it online or in the Reserve Room, until we have permission.
    Under Fair Use, only the original requestor may use material (the faculty member or student) -- no one else.

  • Any part or whole of any currently assigned textbook will NOT be put on Electronic Reserves without special permission from the copyright owner. Otherwise this might be construed by publishers as a way of allowing students to avoid purchasing assigned textbooks. This is to avoid potential litigation and protect the rights of publishers.

  • In a situation where a coursepack of various materials from various sources would require copyright permission, EReserves in the same context would also require copyright permission.

  • If the material does not pass the fair use test in paper, it will not pass the fair use test in electronic format.

  • EReserves are accessible (by student number) only by currently registered students.
    If greater restrictions are required for copyright purposes (to only one class, for example), it is possible. Contact the Technical Services Librarian.

Format of Materials to Be Converted to Electronic Reserves

At this time, the EReserves system can handle materials in the following digital formats:

Text Graphics Sound Motion
scanned copy
txt
Adobe pdf*
html
MS Word doc*
MS Powerpoint ppt*		 bmp
gif
jpg
png
tif*		 mp3*
wav*		 avi*
mov*

* requires additional software or hardware which the student may or may not have available.

Students will need the necessary software to access materials and databases via the Web.

The preferred format is to already have some electronic text version of the materials, but paper or transparency materials may also be accepted to be scanned in as graphic files. Scanned graphic files, however, are much larger and take much longer to download, especially off-campus over telephone lines, and are not searchable by key word or sections.

The Library can convert existing electronic files from various programs (Microsoft Word / PowerPoint / Excel, WordPerfect, and many others) into Adobe Acrobat pdf files, which are easily handled by the Adobe Acrobat reader software (which is free to all to download or copy). Please format PowerPoint and other materials to a light or white background, to improve legibility and reduce the amount of resources required to print.

Whenever possible, instructors should try to provide an electronic form of the material rather than simply accept a paper or transparency copy from a publisher. The most common format is called an "ASCII" (as-kee) text file in Microsoft Word or rtf (Rich Text Format), but many other formats can be handled; please check the format with the Technical Services Librarian (7206) if several forms are offered.

At the Library staff's discretion, materials which were not in electronic format already may be placed in the system as graphic files, which means they cannot be 'searched' internally for specific portions, phrases, or key words. This is due to the nature of the materials and to the short time usually available to place the materials in the system. If this is not acceptable, please notify the Library staff and allow more time for conversion.
Materials can be scanned in so that text is fully searchable, but requires special processing.

Materials Without Copyright or With Expired Copyright

Materials without copyright or with expired copyright may be placed on reserve without obtaining outside permission. See the chart for WHEN U.S. WORKS PASS INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Please do not assume that being out-of-print or easily available through the Internet automatically makes anything available without permission. If in doubt, please discuss the material with a librarian before planning to use it or placing it on reserve.

When and How to Write For Copyright Permission For Electronic Reserves

All materials with copyrights owned by anyone outside the University, including other educational institutions, must have permission from the copyright owner to be placed in the EReserves.

To write for permission to place copyrighted materials in the Online Reserve System, the form letter is recommended.

It is recommended that this form be copied to UA Fort Smith stationery and the appropriate information about the material typed into it. It should be mailed to the copyright holder with a self-addressed stamped Business Reply envelope (available with stamp from State Supply).

REMEMBER: Instructors are responsible for obtaining proper permission from the copyright owner for electronic access to the material. The volume of material involved, especially at the beginning of semesters, precludes the Library staff from handling all of it.

Charges and Restrictions for Use

The Library will consider payment of any reasonable fees charged by the publisher; such charges should be referred to the Library for negotiation and NOT agreed to by the instructor. These charges may, in some cases, be covered by Library funds.

All letters of permission received from publishers, evidence of fees paid, and evidence of permission granted to faculty members by publishers, must be kept on file at the Library.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to notify the Library immediately if permission is refused, even if it seems to be permitted under Fair Use.

Specific publisher requirements are followed as closely as possible. Normal use is only by currently registered students (restrictions to single classes can be discussed with the Technical Services Librarian. Statements of ownership or permission can be added as required.

The following copyright warning will be attached to each scanned document in the Online Reserve System:

Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code), governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research".
This principle is called "Fair Use" and allows students and researchers to make one copy for their personal use in study or writing papers. Copies may not be made or given to other persons, and may not be sold. Materials obtained by interlibrary loan may be used by only one person.
Anyone else requiring the same material must make a separate request for that material.
If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order, if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.



How to Link to the Boreham Library Online Reserve Materials System

For an instructor's web page, the following may be copied from here and inserted where needed in the HTML code to provide a direct link to searching by Course or Instructor Name:

<strong>Boreham Library Online Reserves</strong> by <a href="http://libcat.uafortsmith.edu/search/r">Course</a><br />
or <a href="http://libcat.uafortsmith.edu/search/i">Instructor</a><br />
<p>{currently registered student or faculty number required}</p>