Course Reserve Guidelines for Faculty

The Drexel Libraries’ Course Reserves Service allows instructors to set aside books, films, or sound recordings for class use, or to make articles or book excerpts available electronically through Blackboard Learn.

For step-by-step instructions on placing a reserves request, visit our Course Reserves Getting Started Guide. If the Libraries does not provide access to a particular resource, instructors may request the Libraries purchase it.

General Guidelines

Please review the following information before placing a reserves request. These guidelines apply to both physical and electronic reserves. Contact reserve@drexel.edu with any questions.

  • Allow at least two weeks from the date of submission for your reserves request to be processed.  
  • Allow four weeks for purchase requests to be processed and fulfilled. The Libraries cannot guarantee purchase of all requested items.
  • Material may be placed on reserve for the current term or semester only. Physical materials will be returned to the library shelves and personal copies will be returned to instructors at the end of the term. Instructors can transfer material between course shells in Blackboard Learn.
  • All reserve materials must be in compliance with the Libraries' Fair Use policies and Federal Copyright Law.

Physical Reserves

If an electronic version of required course content is not available, the Drexel Libraries can keep a physical version at the Service Desk in the W. W. Hagerty Library. Print materials include Libraries-owned books, textbooks and DVDs.

To place a physical reserves request, please login to Blackboard Learn. For step-by-step instructions on placing a request, visit the Drexel Course Reserves Getting Started guide.

Instructors may provide their own personal materials for reserve. Please bring personal copies of reserve materials to the W. W. Hagerty Library. In order to monitor materials, the Libraries will need to process them into our system, which includes adding a barcode and small cataloging markings on the outside of all items. A book pocket and anti-theft tape will be placed inside the book.

Please note that items on reserve may be heavily used and are subject to wear and tear. The Libraries is not responsible for damaged or loss of personal materials while they are on reserve.

Electronic Reserves

The Drexel University Libraries maintains a collection of electronic reserves materials including journal articles and books owned by the Libraries, scanned book chapters, and streaming video.

Instructors may also request digitization of Libraries-owned or licensed resources, such as books, journals, DVDs and CDs. All e-reserves content is available via BlackBoard Learn.

Scanned Material

Streaming Media Requests

Streaming Media from the Internet

Fair Use & Copyright Guidelines

Faculty are encouraged to link to licensed, full-text electronic resources provided by the Libraries whenever possible. Content found on the open web should be reviewed to ensure that it is available to share:

  • The content should be made available by the copyright holder or authorized for sharing by the rights holder.
  • The content should be hosted on a safe and reliable site.
  • The content should be freely available (not behind a paywall).
  • If faculty members choose to digitize their own content, they should make sure that the amount used from each source falls within Fair Use guidelines. Faculty should refer to the Libraries' Fair Use Policy when making their own Fair Use determinations.

For assistance navigating the use of copyrighted content as course readings, contact reserve@drexel.edu.