Course Reserves

What are course reserves?

Through the course reserves service, COCC faculty can place course materials (books, articles, DVDs, etc.) at circulation desks for students to check out. Course reserves are available at every campus.

You can search for items on reserve for your classes in the Barber Library & Summit Catalog.

Where are the course reserves located?

Bend: At the Circulation Desk on the first floor of the Barber Library (see on map)

Madras: At the Front Office

Prineville: At the Front Office

Redmond: At the Circulation Desk of the RTEC Commons (Room 224)

Online: A small selection of reserves titles are available online. See our Online Course Reserves page for more information.

For Students

How do I check out items on reserve?

For physical items, bring your COCC student ID to the circulation desk at your campus. Ask the staff to check out the title(s) you need for your class.

For online items, you check them out through out online catalog. See our Online Course Reserves page for more information.

How long can I keep items on reserve?

Your instructors choose how long you can keep a course reserves item. Many items are restricted to in-library use only for no longer than three hours to ensure that they are available to the greatest number of students. Some items you may be able to check out for 24 hours, 48 hours, one week, or the entire term.

Can I scan my textbook to print and bring home?

If you need to copy a single chapter from your textbook, or a few pages of homework questions, you can use the BookEdge scanner by the Reference Desk and print the pages.

However, it is a violation of U.S. copyright law to copy substantial portions of a text, even for your personal educational use.

For Faculty

Why use course reserves?

Course Reserves help save students money and relieve stressful moments.

Some departments, like Early Childhood Education, provide "class sets" (i.e., enough copies for every student in the class) that check out for the whole term. Otherfaculty and departments provide 1-4 copies of the book that check out 1 day, 1 week, or the whole term. Either way, these materials help students.

Many students use Course Reserves during the first two weeks of the term, when they are sorting out their finances and/or waiting for books they've ordered to arrive. Having a book they can check out for a day or week means they don't get behind from the start and helps relieve their stress at a critical time.

Online Course Reserves are heavily used by students, as they can access textbooks when the Library isn't open or when a drive to campus isn't possible.

What kind of items can be placed on reserve?

Any physical item can be placed on reserve (within reason), including:

Books
Physical media
Non-book/media items, like kits of tools (e.g., compasses and protractors for geometry)

For loose leaf copies, we recommend page protectors.

Will the Library buy copies of my materials for Reserves?

The Library does not purchase new items for course reserves specifically.

If we already own the item, we can move it to Reserves temporarily, but in the majority of cases you will need to provide us with a copy (or copies) from your departmental/personal collection.

How do I place items on reserve for my class?

In 3 easy steps...

Read the Course Reserves Copyright Policy and ensure that your material(s) fall within fair use guidelines.
Submit the Course Reserves form for your campus. This gives Library staff the information we need to process the item.
- Bend or Redmond instructors: Submit the online Course Reserves Form.
- Madras or Prinveille instructors: Download, print, and complete the paper Course Reserves Form.
Depending on your campus location, submit the physical items to the
- Barber Library Circulation Desk (Bend)
- RTEC Student Commons (Redmond)
- Front Desk (Madras and Prineville)

What about online course reserves?

If you want to make your textbooks available online, the best method (and most cost-conscious for your students) is to use Open Educational Resources (OER). This can take time and planning, but a variety of resources (including opportunities for grant funding) are available to support you in this transition from paid to free or low-cost resources.

Whatever type of text you're using, we may also be able to provide digital copies of your textbooks that your students can check out online rather than in person. (Read about how online course reserves works for students). Talk to us if you're interested in this option!

How long does it take to put an item on reserve?

Library staff need a minimum of 2 working days to make new physical course reserves items available for student use. A minimum of 1 week is needed for online course reserve items.

Additional time may be required at the beginning of each term, when many faculty submit reserves at the same time. To ensure that material is ready by the first day of class, please submit your request at least one week before the start of the term.

How will students know my items are available on Reserves?

The most effecitve way is for you share this information directly with your students. Many faculty include it on their syllabi. In-class or Canvas announcements can also help make students aware of this resource.

Students can also search for Course Reserves by ISBN, title, author or course in our catalog's Course Reserves search.

Are students using the items I placed on Reserves?

If you want to know how much your items were used or need usage statistics for budgetary or grant-writing purposes, we are happy to provide aggregate statistics (e.g., total checkouts by title or course). We do not track specific user information.

Will the Library handle any copyright concerns?

Instructors are responsible for fair use of copyrighted reserves materials. Before you place copyrighted materials on reserve, please read the Course Reserves Copyright Policy.