Course Reserves - Information for Faculty

Answers to frequently asked questions concerning course reserves are available here.

Physical Reserves

Faculty members may place library or personal items needed for class assignments on reserve to facilitate the availability of those items to groups of students through limited access. Lists of reserve materials that include the current availability of reserve items can be accessed using the “Course Reserves” search function in ACORN.

Reserve materials can be checked-out for use within the library for two hours with overnight check-outs allowed for most reserves that are owned by the library. Materials that would not normally check-out (reference books and periodicals) cannot be placed on reserve.

Please note that reserve fines will automatically post to the accounts of all users, including faculty. The Music Library will gladly extend loan periods to faculty checking out items on reserve for their courses upon request.

All physical reserve materials are removed from reserve after the last day of finals. Requests to extend the reserve status of materials must be made prior to the last day of finals. Personal items from faculty members will be placed in their mailbox after removal from reserve.

Electronic Reserves

The Music Library can add streamed selections from sound recordings and scanned excerpts from print materials to OAK course pages.

Michael Jones must be granted access as a course builder before library content can be posted to your OAK course page.  The course page must also be made available to library staff (Michael) and students enrolled in the course before content can be posted by anyone other than the instructor.  See this handout for instructions on how to add Michael as a course builder. See this handout for instructions on how to make your course available.

Before requesting links to library content please read the Music Library’s Audio Streaming Policy for Course Reserves. These guidelines have been approved by Vanderbilt University's legal counsel.

Print items for electronic reserve on OAK are scanned and converted to PDF documents. Instructors are responsible for providing clean, loose, one-sided 8 1/2" x 11" photocopies with black edges minimized for scanning. Photocopies should also be accompanied by a complete citation, which can be easily obtained by including a copy of the title page (the copyright date, usually located on the reverse side of the title page, can be written in). Rightsholders' fees for electronic reserves are charged back to the individual colleges. In some cases links can be created to electronic copies of books and journals licensed by the library without paying copyright permission fees.

Submitting Reserve Requests

Reserve requests should be submitted at least two weeks prior to when they are needed to allow time for processing, recalling of checked-out items and rush purchase requests. Reserve lists are processed in the order received.

Request forms for reserves are provided below. Please submit one request form for each course to Michael Jones, the Music Library’s circulation supervisor, or to the staff at the library’s service desk. Michael will also accept user-generated lists, such as modified syllabi, provided that they include an author or composer, title, call number and track (if applicable) for each item.

Course Reserves Request Form (requires Adobe Reader)