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Put an item into Course Reserves

Instructors at CSUSB may place items on Course Reserves for their students to use. These materials may be Pfau Library-owned copies or personal copies.

Course Reserves Requests

Please fill out and submit the form below to begin the process. This is best done 1-3 weeks before the new semester or session. Please allow at least 3 days for processing. Email and telephone requests are not accepted.

Faculty Course Reserves Request

For personal copies: Please submit the request form, print the confirmation email, and include the printout when you bring your copy to the Course Reserves desk for processing. The library is not responsible for damage to, or loss of, personal copies.

To find Pfau Library-owned copies, check OneSearch: Books & Media (CSUSB).

Note: Prior to each semester or session, we use the textbook list from the campus bookstore to identify all textbooks, both hard copy and ebooks, owned by the library. We then place them on Course Reserves. Your textbook may already be listed there, but please check to be sure.

Course Reserves Guidelines

  • Requests are processed in the order received.
  • Photocopies and printouts should be clear and in manila folders.
  • Materials on loan from other libraries cannot be placed on Course Reserves.
  • Make and confirm Course Reserves arrangements before distributing an assignment. If an item is checked out, it may be weeks before it can be obtained and placed on Course Reserves.
  • Hard copy books placed on Course Reserves for the academic year will be reviewed for circulation frequency. You will be contacted if our records show little or no circulation activity.
  • Follow copyright guidelines for Fair Use. See Copyright Guidelines below.

For questions or further information, please contact:

Other Options

Linking to the Library’s Digital Resources

Another way to make a variety of digital resources, from individual articles to ebooks to streaming videos, easily available to your students is to add them to your Blackboard class. Follow the directions in our guide, Linking to Library Resources.

Copyright Guidelines

Copied materials placed on Course Reserves are subject to copyright protections. Fair use exemptions may apply. Copied materials that do not require copyright permission include:

  • Material in the public domain (including many works published prior to 1923).
  • Government documents.
  • Material written by the instructor for the course, such as lecture notes or quizzes.
  • Departmental comprehensive exams or other department-authored materials.

Generally, the Pfau Library considers that the following copied items do not require copyright permissions when used for only one semester or session:

  • One chapter from any book.
  • One article from any journal.
  • One poem, short story, or essay from a collected work.
  • Short excerpt, not to exceed 10% of a work without chapters or articles.

Materials which require copyright permission are:

  • Any copyrighted material which exceeds the above guidelines.
  • Journal articles, magazine articles, or book chapters intended for use for more than one consecutive semester or session.
  • Multiple chapters from a single book or multiple articles from a single journal or magazine.
  • Student works (obtain permission from the student).

When in doubt, consider alternatives. For example, photocopies of half a book would not be permitted on Course Reserves, but the original, entire hard copy book would be. Purchase the book or ask your Department Liaison librarian to purchase a library copy for use on Course Reserves if the budget allows.

For help in deciding if your use of a copied item is covered by Fair Use, consult the University of Columbia's Fair Use Checklist. The "Guidelines for Classroom Copying," developed by Congress and publishing representatives in 1976, are frequently applied to library Course Reserves situations. Circular 21: Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians (PDF) includes the text of the Guidelines.