Course Reserves Information for Instructors

General Guidelines
Books
Article and Book Chapter Photocopies
Electronic Reserves

iTunes U Reserves

Media Reserves

General Guidelines for All Types of Reserve Materials

  • To have your class reserve items available by the first day of the term, the submission deadline is one month before the semester starts.
  • Request forms must be filled out completely.
  • Items can be placed on two-hour, three-day, or seven-day reserve. Be sure to indicate the length of time you would like your reserve items to circulate.
  • There is a 60 item limit to the number of books and/or photocopies placed on reserve, per instructor, per course, per term.
  • Reserves completed before the start of the term will not appear in PITTcat+ until the first day of the term, as given on the registrar’s calendar.
  • If you have any questions, contact Hillman Library Reserves via e-mail at: reserves@mail.pitt.edu or by phone at (412) 648-7800.

Books

  • Retrieving the books from the stacks and submitting them with your completed form will allow us to process your reserve list more efficiently and in less time. Reserve request forms can be picked up at the Lending/Reserve Desk or you can use the online Reserve Book Request Form, print the form, and submit to Hillman Library Reserves, G-2 Hillman, via campus mail or via fax .
  • Books that are not currently in our collection can be ordered. Please allow 4-6 weeks for us to process book orders.
  • Personal copies of books will be returned to the instructor at the end of the term unless other arrangements are made.

Articles and Book Chapter Photocopies

  • Instructors are responsible for copyright compliance related to the materials they place on reserve. Please familiarize yourself with the ULS policy. The ULS fully expects that instructors are following the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.
  • The instructor must supply all photocopies of copyrighted material, along with a Article and Book Chapter Reserve Form (PDF) which includes complete citations. This form can be printed, filled out, and should accompany the photocopies.
  • Instructors should provide only as many copies as are absolutely required to meet the demands of the class. Traditionally, this has been defined widely as one copy for every twenty students except in extraordinary cases. Please indicate projected enrollment for the class.
  • No more than one chapter of any given book may be photocopied and placed on reserve, although multiple copies of such chapter or excerpt may be placed on reserve.
  • There is a limit of three (3) photocopies per periodical volume per course per term.
  • To ensure compliance with the law the library will return all photocopies to the instructor at the end of each term.

iTunes U Reserves

  • Reserve staff in Hillman Library, through its Course Reserve service, may provide electronic access to audio materials via iTunes U.  Please see our Audio Streaming Policy.
  • Please complete the audio streaming form and the Reserves staff will arrange for the requested materials to be delivered to Hillman Library.
  • A course will be created along with permissions and once completed the instructor will be notified and will be provided with instructions for accessing iTunes U.

 

Electronic Reserves

The library will gladly scan materials and make them available in electronic format through PITTCat+. Please be advised as to the following guidelines:

  • As with print reserves, the submission process is first come, first served. Please submit materials as soon as possible, and allow up to four weeks for processing.
  • Reserve staff in Hillman Library will scan into electronic format individual articles and book chapters if the copy submitted is of good quality, on standard 8.5” x 11 paper. Clean copies of articles and chapters make legible scans. Single-sided copies scan faster.
  • Course Packs are NOT eligible for scanning.
  • If the article is available from any of our electronic journals, books, or databases, please provide the full citation and we will link directly to the e-version. There is no need to print out a copy.
  • Please be sure to provide the full citation for each item.
  • Please refer to our Copyright Guide, and be sure that your request adheres to these basic guidelines: Items can appear on reserve in only one format (book, photocopy, or electronically). Only one excerpt, or 10% of each source text, whichever is less, can be placed on any one reserve list.
  • The 60 item limit also applies to electronic as well as print reserves.

 

Media Reserves

Request that a film be placed on reserve for students in your class to view in the Stark Media Services, located on the Ground Floor of Hillman Library, or check out a film to show in a class.