Course Reserves

Electronic reserves

• Course Reserves staff can scan chapters for instructors. This ensures that all scanned course materials are accessible and copyright compliant.
• Course Reserves staff can make sure that all links to online content are stable (permanent) and are accessible off campus (have the proper proxy string).

Physical reserves

• Many textbooks are prohibitively expensive. Placing copies on reserve at the library can help students to more easily afford the cost of attending university.
• Even if students already own a textbook, they may find it more convenient to use the Libraries' copy for short study sessions away from their dorms or apartment than it would be to go back home to retrieve a book.
• If the Libraries already own a copy of a book being used for a class, placing it on reserve with a two-hour loan allows many more students the opportunity to use it than circulating it out of the general collection, where items have six-week or one-year loan periods.

Yes. In a message to instructors on October 31, 2017, Provost Donald Neiman wrote, "Textbooks are increasingly expensive and represent a financial burden for many of our students. You can help. I encourage you to provide the Libraries with copies of your course materials. Please know that the Libraries will also be reaching out to you to solicit copies of books that you plan to use for your courses. Copies of currently assigned editions of books for upcoming courses are welcome and should be brought to the main circulation desk in Bartle Library, or the Reserves Desk in Newcomb Reading Room. Publisher-provided desk copies and personally-owned materials are equally appreciated."

Log into the Library Course Reserves tool directly via reserves.binghamton.edu.

Alternatively, you can access the Library Course Reserves tool via myCourses.

1. Log into your class's myCourses page and click "Library Course Reserves."

2. Follow the link that says "Click here to access Library Course Reserves." If a "Launch LTI Link" screen appears while your course reserve list loads, do not click the "Launch" button. Instead wait for the screen to load automatically.
3. Click the title of the item you want to view to open a screen detailing more information about that item.
4. If it is an electronic reserve item, you will be able to open it from this page.
5. If it is a physical reserve item, you will be able to open a link to the item's Find It! record where you can see more information about which Reader Services desk you need to visit to borrow it.

The list of items in the Library Course Reserves tool includes both electronic reserves and physical reserves. If you click on an item and there is not an option to "view this item," then the item is on physical reserve at either the Newcomb Reading Room (LN-1302) or the University Downtown Center Library.

Library staff only post readings to myCourses via the Library Courses Reserves tool. If you are having issues with materials in another content area of myCourses, you should reach out to your instructor for help.

Physical reserves are held behind the Reader Services desks at the following locations.

• Newcomb Reading Room (LN-1302) inside Bartle Library
• University Downtown Center Library

Typically, classes held at the University Downtown Center hold their reserve materials at the University Downtown Center Library. Classes on main campus hold their reserve materials at the Newcomb Reading Room (LN-1302).

You can find more information about an item by opening it in the Library Course Reserves tool. This should take you to the item's Find It! record, where you can see a variety of useful information including:

• Whether the item is held at Main Reserves (the Newcomb Reading Room) or Downtown Center Reserves (University Downtown Center Library)
• Whether the item is "available" or "out of library"
• Whether there are other copies available at the Libraries that are not on reserve

You may check out reserve materials by asking for them at the Reader Services desk where they are located.

You should let Reader Services staff know the course number that the materials are being used for. An example of what to ask is: "Can I borrow the reserve book for ANTH111?"

Yes. You need to bring your current Binghamton University ID card to the Reader Services desk to check out any library materials, including reserve items. Other forms of identification, such as a driver's license or a B# are not accepted.

Yes. You can take out up to three reserve items at once. There is no limit to how many times you can check out an item; however, if another person wants to check out the same item that you have, when you return it, you will be asked to wait 30 minutes before checking it out again.

Borrowing limits for non-reserve items can be found here.

Generally, you can borrow reserve books for 2 hours and DVDs for 3 hours. Some materials have a "Next Day" loan period. This means that no matter what time you take out an item, you can keep it until 1:59pm the following day. These shortened time limits are to give everyone in the class a chance to access the materials.

Loan periods for non-reserve items can be found here.

Yes. Most reserve materials can be taken out of the library. Items that cannot be taken out of the library will be designated as such.

Yes. If you borrow or renew a reserve item within 2 hours of the library closing (or 3 hours for videos), you can keep it overnight until 1 hour after the library opens the next day. Check the library hours.

No. Reserves are available on a first come, first served basis. However, if a reserve item you want to borrow is currently checked out, the Reader Services desk will block renewals of that item for 30 minutes after the item is returned.

No. Textbooks are typically only placed on reserve at the request of an instructor.

If an item being used for a course is owned by Binghamton University Libraries, Reserves staff may place it on reserve automatically as a courtesy to students. Allowing these items to circulate via Reserves (for short loan periods) permits more students to use them than if we circulated them from the general collection (loan periods of 6 weeks or 1 year).

Items may be added to the course reserve collection throughout the semester.

If your course materials are not on reserve, you can ask your instructor to put them on reserve. If you would like us to reach out to your instructor on your behalf, please fill out this form.

Yes. You may renew reserve items at the Reader Services desk where you checked them out; however, if another student is waiting to use the materials, you must wait 30 minutes to allow other students the opportunity to borrow them.

No. Reserve items must be returned to the Reader Services desk where they were borrowed.

When the Newcomb Reading Room is closed, you may return reserves to the after-hours book return bin located outside of Newcomb's doors. Only reserve items checked out at Newcomb may be returned here. This bin is locked when the room is open.

The University Downtown Center does not have an after-hours return bin. Reserve items checked out here must be returned when the UDC Library is open.

Click here to view the Libraries' hours of operation.

You will be charged a fine of $0.05 per minute (for 2 hour loans) or $5.00 per day (for Next Day loans) if a reserve item is returned late. There is a short grace period before the fines begin to accrue.