FAQ: Reserves Policies and Procedures


What are Reserves?

Print and Media Reserves are physical items (books, software, photocopies, DVDs, VHS, or other media) held in the Libraries specifically for your students to use.

  • Before placing a film on reserve for your students, please check the Libraries' numerous streaming film sources. We offer thousands of films that may be viewed either in class or on your students' own time 24/7.  Different options are available from each film vendor; most offer the selection of specific clips and insertion of questions and assignments within a film.
  • These items can be your personal copies, copies owned by the University Libraries, or items that the Libraries will purchase for your course.
  • The instructor decides whether these items can leave the library and how long students can use the items.
  • The eReserves system provides 24/7 access via the web to course materials required in support of the UNCG Curriculum. eReserves are electronic course materials readings provided in accessible Adobe PDF (portable document format) format. Access to eReserves is limited to the UNCG students, faculty, and staff enrolled in or teaching each specific course and section.
  • eReserve readings are delivered to students via Canvas.
    • The library provides instructors with a link to the eReserves for their classes.
    • Instructors decide where to add the link in Canvas. Possibilities include adding them to the Canvas course, adding the link to the syllabus, or creating share links for each reading and linking them as they are assigned on the syllabus.
    • A login with UNCG computing credentials is required to access the readings.
    • Access to these documents is available through a web browser.
    • Viewing and printing eReserve documents requires the use of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
    • It is intended that all eReserves will be viewed and printed for personal use only.
    • Photocopied documents submitted for eReserve must meet the copyright and other criteria contained in the Guidelines for Photocopies for Reserves and eReserves.
    • Instructors cannot add or delete files from their course eReserves folders; Reserves staff will gladly do this as needed.

What materials can be placed on Reserve?

Physical materials in the Libraries’ General collections, i.e., books, software, DVDs, VHS tapes, other audio visual items, etc. from either Jackson or Harold Schiffman Music Library. Note: Reference, Special Collections, Building Use Only materials, etc. are not part of the General collections.

Materials you wish the Libraries to purchase. Orders take approx. 6 weeks; see next FAQ item for directions.

Photocopied materials that meet copyright criteria and guidelines for photocopying and scanning may be placed on Print or eReserves. Note: photocopies that are commercially produced and bound or that exceed Fair Use copyright criteria can only be placed on Reserve with written permission from the copyright holders. See copyright information for more details.

Personal copies of materials. These items are placed on 2 Hour Reserve and restricted to building use only.

  • The Libraries cannot be responsible for the abuse or loss of personal materials.
  • Personal copies may include books, software, audio visuals and other types of media.

Student authored papers may be placed on Reserve and eReserves if written permission is obtained from the authoring student(s) and the files meet our guidelines for photocopying and scanning.

  • Permission statements can be written on the papers themselves, or on an attached sheet.
  • If student prefers anonymity, place permission statement on a separate sheet of paper. Separate sheets will not be included in the Reserve documents.
  • Examples of statements:
    "I/We agree to have this paper placed on Reserve for the duration of the (current) semester." Followed by signature(s).
    "I/We agree to have this paper placed on Reserve as needed at the discretion of (Instructor’s Name)." Followed by signatures(s).

Unpublished anthologies created by the instructor, provided that written copyright permission to place on Reserve is included.

Notice: The Libraries reserves the right to decline materials based upon the above criteria, space, and appropriateness considerations.

Who can place materials on Reserve?

Anyone teaching a course at UNCG may place materials on print and eReserves for the courses they teach. Instructors may send Reserve lists and materials to us through representatives.

Also, materials may be placed on print and eReserves to support UNCG-related seminars, programs, speakers, and workshops. Contact the reserves staff to discuss this option.

Music courses are best served by the Reserves in the Harold Schiffman Music Library.

How do I place materials on Reserve?

  1. 1. Create a Reserve List. To place materials on Print or eReserves, the instructor must complete a Reserve List using either our print or online form:
  2. 2. Gather your materials.
    • For library books: we provide the service of pulling the books from the stacks; however, the placement of the materials on Reserve can be expedited if you bring them to us.
    • For photocopies/eReserves: we can gather the source material or the process can be expedited if you provide the photocopies or the source materials.  When we have the source materials in hand, most PDF files for eReserves are created on an overhead scanner and no paper copy is produced.  If paper copies are necessary, we can provide up to 100 sheets of paper per course per semester, limited to only one copy per title. The instructor can provide copies in excess of 100 sheets.
      • Please see our guidelines for scanning and photocopying before you submit documents for uploading.
      • Unless otherwise instructed, we assume that all photocopies submitted are intended for eReserves.
      • We will screen each copy to see if it meets the guidelines.
    • Copies not meeting copyright guidelines will not be placed on Reserve. Copies that do not meet the other guidelines will not be placed on eReserves, but will be placed on traditional Reserve the interim. In both cases, instructors will receive through the campus mail detailed information as to what s/he can do to revise the photocopies meet the guidelines.
    • If copies are intended for print Reserves, we recommend 1 copy for every 10 students with a maximum of 5 copies total. We can provide only 1 on copy of any reading.
  3. 3. Deliver your list and materials. If you use the print Reserve List form, please hand deliver or mail completed lists and all accompanying materials to the Check Out Desk located on the first floor of Jackson Library; or, email lists and accompanying materials to Reserves@uncg.edu.

How do I place materials on Reserve if UNCG does not own the items?

So that the Reserves staff can track orders for materials to go on reserve, it is better to place orders through Reserves.

To order through Reserves:

  • List the needed materials on your Reserve list, providing complete citations, and put "order" in the call number block.
  • If it is known that the materials are available at any local bookstore, please indicate which one on the list.
  • Material marked "order" on Reserve lists will be "rush" ordered for Reserve. Until the last day to submit Reserves to guarantee availability on the first day of classes, Reserve lists are screened for book orders upon receipt and the orders are placed immediately. After the guarantee date passes, orders are placed when the lists are processed.

To order through Acquisitions department:

  • Submit orders though the electronic Book Purchase Request form.
  • Be sure to indicate on your orders that they are for Reserve and include the course number and term.
  • When you submit your Reserve list, include these materials on the list and put “on order” in the call number column to clue us in. The date the order was placed is helpful but not required.

Under normal circumstances, it takes approximately 6 weeks to obtain and process books purchased from vendors; 1 week from local bookstores.

The Library does not purchase textbooks, but personally owned copies of textbooks may be placed on Reserve.

You will be notified:

  • When the materials are received
  • If there are any problems related to their receipt
  • If the materials are out of print
  • If the materials have excessive cost

What if items I want to place on Reserve are checked out?

Checked out items will be recalled when needed to go on Reserve for courses taught at UNCG. To start the process, submit a request to place the items on Reserve. The Reserve Staff will process the recall and notify you when the items are on Reserve. Items for which you place requests personally will not be recalled.

How long does it take to put materials on Reserve?

Lists received after the guarantee dates will be processed in order of receipt and may take up to 2 weeks in Fall and Spring, 1 week in Summer, to be available. The approximate period of time for which this is true is the first 3 weeks of Fall and Spring and the first week of Summer.

After the initial heavy processing period, the amount of time it takes to place materials on Reserve is shortened substantially. The time it takes depends upon the amount of material and other factors such as how long it takes to gather, photocopy, and scan the materials. In most cases whereby the instructor submits the material with the list, it is available in a day or less. Under normal circumstances, lengthier or more labor intense lists are placed on Reserve within 3 days of submission.

When are Reserve Lists due?

To ensure availability on the first day of classes, please submit requests for new lists or additions to existing lists as follows:

  • Fall Term - 2nd Friday in August
  • Winter Term - 1st Friday in December
  • Spring Term - 2nd Friday in December
  • Summer Term - 2nd Friday in May

Lists turned in after these dates will be processed in the order of receipt unless:

  • The instructor is new at UNCG
  • The instructor did not know that s/he was going to teach the class
  • The bookstores did not acquire enough copies to meet need

Please alert us to these factors when submitting lists.

For renewal directions, see “How do I renew my Reserve lists, materials?” below.

How do I renew my Reserve lists, materials?

To renew or use lists on reserve for different courses in spring 2019 for summer and/or fall 2019:

  • Call us at 336.256.1199 or email reserves@uncg.edu by Wednesday, May 8.
  • Tell us the specific course and section number for the fall list you wish to transfer and the course and section number for the winter and/or spring course.
  • Lists for which we receive no requests to renew will be removed from reserve beginning Friday, May 10.

What if my course was removed and I want to use that list again? Removed lists are returned to your campus address via campus mail. If a list you wish to reuse was removed, you will need to update the course and term, make any needed changes to the readings and resubmit it as a new list, or provide a new list.

How do I know when Reserve materials are available?

It is the responsibility of the instructor to verify that materials are available before assignments are made. Please do not make any Reserve assignments until you have verified that the materials are on Reserve. We would much rather put our manpower into getting materials on Reserve than into explaining to students why Reserve readings are not available.

To determine if print Reserves are available, go to the Course Reserves in the Library Catalog (or follow these detailed instructions).

  • If you don't see a list of reserves, click on Course Reserves in the blue bar in the top-right corner of the page.
  • If you are looking for items that will be on Reserve in the upcoming term, change the status to "Inactive" before starting your search.

The Reserve Staff will notify instructors by campus mail when books are not available. Reasons may include:

  • Recalls: items are checked out to patrons for regular loan; we have asked them to return as soon as possible.
  • Locates: items are listed as available in our catalog, but we cannot find them; we will search for 3 weeks, then reorder.
  • Ordered: we do not own these items or our copies are lost; we have reordered and will notify you when they arrive.
  • Need more information: we can't determine what you wanted based upon the info given; we need you to clarify.

To determine if eReserves are available, access your course(s):

  • Once eReserves are in SharePoint, instructors will receive emails with instructions on options for adding them to their Canvas course.
  • A login with UNCG computing credentials is required to access the readings via the link to add them to Canvas and to view them.

The Reserves Staff will notify instructors by campus mail when photocopies or eReserves are not available for any of the following reasons:

  • Materials do not meet copyright guidelines according to Fair Use.
  • Materials do not meet criteria for eReserves outlined in the Guidelines for Photocopying.
  • Source materials cannot be located in the Library.
  • Source materials are recalled.
  • Source materials are on order or we are unable to order.

How do I remove materials from Reserve?

It is the responsibility of the instructor to let us know whether to retain or remove Reserve lists at the end of each term. Materials for which we receive no instructions will be removed.

  • eReserves are no longer accessible after the last day of each term
  • Print Reserve materials will be removed after the processing of new materials for the next term slows down.
  • Unless instructed otherwise or they are too large, Personal Copies will be returned through the campus mail. If you prefer to pick them up or to send a representative to do so, please let us know. If they are too large for the campus mail, we will call and/or email to tell you they are ready to pick up. Due to a minimum amount of storage space, prompt pick up of these materials is greatly appreciated.

Instructors may request that Reserve materials on for the courses they teach be removed from Reserve at any time throughout the term as well. Individual items or entire lists can be removed. The amount of time it takes to remove materials from Reserve varies according to the type and amount of material. It is best to call ahead to alert us if you need to have materials removed right away. We can give you an estimate as to how long it will take.

Often, instructors wish to remove from Reserve or extend the loan period of individual items that may or may not be on Reserve for the courses they teach so that specific individuals can check them out for a loan period longer than the one for which they are on Reserve. We can easily accommodate these requests if the individual items are on Reserve for only your courses. If they are on Reserve for courses taught by other instructors, we will attempt to arrange clearance from those instructors. Please understand that, for this reason, we may not be able to accommodate every request.

It is best to contact us in advance to make arrangements for this type of request. If you cannot call, we will accept signed requests written on University letterhead delivered by the individual needing the items. Please include the following in the request - the name of the individual needing the items, the titles of the items, and the length of time for which the items are needed.