Library Course Materials for Faculty

Course Reserves for Faculty

Instructors have the ability to create their own reading list, edit their existing lists, or upload their personal content to their Library Course Materials page in Canvas.

Access Library Course Materials by logging into Canvas, selecting your course, and clicking Library Course Materials on the left-hand course navigation menu.

Make changes to your Library Course Materials reading list by following the instructions found in the Library Course Materials Guide. If you prefer library staff to manage your list, please follow the instructions below.

Set up Library Course Materials

To request course materials, please do one of the following:

  1. Submit requests using the Library Course Materials Request Form. More information is available below.
  2. Submit requests through the Course Works Order and Request Form that’s emailed to you each semester (yes, we’ll see them!).

Digital Materials

Digital resources available through Kathryn A. Martin Library's online subscriptions can be seen on the Library Course Materials page in your Canvas course site. Please submit the Library Course Materials Request Form and provide the full citation to have digital resources added to your course list. You may also request open educational resources, videos, and more.

We can scan a portion of physical material owned by the UMD Library or the instructor to add to your Library Course Materials page. As the instructor, you are responsible for making sure the material you request is in compliance with copyright law. Please familiarize yourself with the General Principles for Fair Use in Education. For further information about copyright, see Copyright, Licenses, and Permissions below. We will contact you for clarification when needed.

Please allow at least 1 week for processing.

If you are having trouble viewing your Library Course Materials page or readings, please email [email protected].

Physical Materials

Closed book on a table

The library encourages faculty to use digital course materials such as ebooks, streaming films, or open educational resources in lieu of placing items on traditional physical course reserves.

To place physical materials on reserve, please submit the Library Course Materials Request Form. Submit requests 1 week prior to using course reserve material. Instructors can choose either a 3-hour or a 1-day loan period.

We process requests in the order they are received. It is possible that materials become ready the same day. Watch for an email confirming that your item(s) are available for students to check out.

Personal copies require 1 to 4 days to process before they become available for student checkout. Typically processing times are longer at the beginning of a semester during a higher volume of requests. Please indicate if you need rush service.

Removing Physical Materials from Reserve

After the semester ends, we remove reserve materials and return personal copies to you. If you plan to teach the same course the following semester, your course reserves list will be carried forward and your materials will remain on reserve.

To stop your course reserves list from being carried forward, or to remove items from reserve before the end of the semester, please fill out the Remove from Course Reserves request form.

Frequently Asked Questions

See common questions and answers about Course Reserves.

Copyright, Licenses, and Permissions

Copyright Symbol

Conditions of Use: Something may be copied and made available for course reserves when the material copied is:

  • In the public domain
  • Used with permission from the copyright holder
  • Used under the provisions of a contract or license agreement (agreements may differ from, and often take precedence over, what is allowed under copyright law) or
  • Used under the provision of Fair Use (U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. Section 107) or as determined using a case-by-case, four-factor analysis.

Instructor Responsibilities: Course reserve materials may be subject to restrictions based on copyright law. In some cases, materials may be made available after an assessment by the instructor that such a use is a fair use under copyright law. All such uses are based on the University of Minnesota Libraries' general principles of fair use in education.

When copyrighted works are used for reserves under the provisions of fair use, instructors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring all materials used support course-related teaching, scholarship, or research.
  • Determining, on a case-by-case basis, whether the use of a copyrighted work requires permission or qualifies as fair use. Such a determination requires a working knowledge of the principles & applications of fair use. Library staff can provide some consultation on the relevant issues.
  • Making arrangements for permissions when they are needed.
  • Copying only the amount of material needed to accomplish the specific educational purpose. In consultation with library staff, instructors will determine any limits on the amount of material to be used.

Contact Us

Email: [email protected]

  • Receive help finding course materials
  • Inquire about OER
  • Schedule a consultation for your course materials reading list

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