Miami University Libraries
Get HelpFaculty - Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to scan the material myself in order to place it on electronic reserves?
No, the Libraries will scan your materials into the appropriate electronic format.
How Do I Place Material on Print or Electronic Reserve?
Complete a Reserve Request Form. If placing copyrighted
materials on Electronic Reserves, sign the copyright acknowledgement statement
and select a password which will limit access to students in your class
Bring the materials to be placed on reserve to a circulation desk for processing. Reserve Request Forms are available at the circulation desk at each library. On the form, indicate which materials you wish placed on electronic reserve and which on print reserve. Note: We can also place on Reserve documents which are in a digitized form, such as a MS Word text file or a PowerPoint file.
Contact the circulation/reserve staff to have copies of the Request Form faxed or mailed to you.
Bring the materials to be placed on reserve to a circulation desk for processing. Reserve Request Forms are available at the circulation desk at each library. On the form, indicate which materials you wish placed on electronic reserve and which on print reserve. Note: We can also place on Reserve documents which are in a digitized form, such as a MS Word text file or a PowerPoint file.
Contact the circulation/reserve staff to have copies of the Request Form faxed or mailed to you.
What types of materials are appropriate for Electronic Reserves?
Course notes, exams, homework solutions, journal articles,
chapters from books.
The Libraries will scan these items into "portable
document format"
(PDF). They will then be available via the Web.
Please note that "original" documents which are difficult to read, "light," blurry, etc. will retain these attributes when scanned and placed on electronic reserves.
Please note that "original" documents which are difficult to read, "light," blurry, etc. will retain these attributes when scanned and placed on electronic reserves.
If I have materials in a PDF format, can they be placed on electronic
reserve?
Yes, please contact the Digital Processing Unit for details on how to get
existing materials on E-Reserves. Phone number: 529-2871 or email at ereserves@lib.muohio.edu
Can I put color documents on electronic reserve: color maps, charts, photos, etc.?
Yes. The equipment we use to digitize documents will faithfully capture and preserve colors.
What are the hardware and software requirements for using electronic course reserves?
Why Must I Provide a Password for Electronic Reserves?
Copyright law requires that the Libraries restrict access
to copyrighted materials
in digital format. Passwording verifies that the students
accessing an electronic
reserve item are enrolled in your course. Students do not have to use the password if the log in to myMiami to access e-reserves.
Please remember to give the password to your students. The password is "protected information." Library staff do not know the password should one of your students forget it.
Please remember to give the password to your students. The password is "protected information." Library staff do not know the password should one of your students forget it.
How do I ensure that only students in my class have access to
electronic reserve items?
Only those who know a password you select for a course can access the
electronic reserve readings for that particular course. Better, therefore, to
select a password that is not easily guessed by others. We hope to soon have
the ability to "authenticate" by use of the University's course-enrollment
records.
Can my original document be altered by individuals who use electronic reserves?
Your original document is completely protected and cannot be altered in
any way by a user. Also, documents on electronic reserve are scanned by the
Libraries into PDF files which are "image files." End users can not copy and
paste text from these files.
How long does it take to get materials on print or electronic reserve?
It depends on the time of the semester. At the start of a semester, there are a
large number of items to process. It may take as long as a
week to work through
the backlog. In mid-semester, we typically can get materials
on either print or electronic
reserve in 2-business days.
How do I view documents I have placed on Electronic Reserve?
Please click on the following link for instructions, Electronic Reserves - How to Access. We find that the
most common problem users have with accessing Electronic Reserves involves the
"help application," Adobe Acrobat Reader. This application is necessary to
display the Electronic Reserves files. and is included on the University's
MUNet software CD, meaning that most students will already have this program
on their computer. The above link provides some information on the Adobe
Acrobat Reader; however, faculty may wish to contact their Technical Support
Representative who can quickly install this application.
How will my students access electronic reserve?
Please see Electronic Reserves - How to Access
How do my students obtain material on print reserve?
Each library on the Oxford and regional campuses has a
reserve collection located
at the circulation desk. Students will ask for print reserve
readings at this desk.
Students will need to know the instructor's name and the
course name and number.
Can I place both a print and an electronic copy of a
copyrighted item on reserve?
Sorry, no. Copyright laws prohibits the Libraries from providing having on Reserve both a paper
copy and an electronic version of a copyrighted item. If you
choose the electronic format for an item, we cannot also place a
photocopy of the item on regular (print) reserve. However, we can
place an "original" item (as opposed to a photocopy) -- for example, a book--
on regular reserve, and also place a small portion of the item (a chapter, a
short section) on electronic reserve.
Will materials be returned to me?
Personal items (e.g., class notes, a copy of article) which we copy (for
either print or electronics) will be returned to you after we have processed the material onto reserves.
Personal copies of books placed on reserve will be returned to you at end of the
semester.
HOW CAN I LINK MY ELECTRONIC RESERVES TO MY WEB PAGES?
You need to add the reserve's web address (URL) as a link on your web page.
To place a link to your reserve course list(s) do the following. (Note: this
will create a link a list of course readings, not to individual readings).
- point your web browser at the Class & Reserve Materials main page at http://www.lib.muohio.edu/research/ereserves/
- call up your course list page using one of the three drop down boxes under "Direct Access to Current Electronic Reserves:"
- copy the URL of your course list page (found in the address field), and "paste" this link onto your Blackboard page.
To place a link to a particular electronic reserve reading/article, follow steps 1-3 above, then do the following,
- from your course list page, click a course (or, if you have only one course listed, click on that course).
- this next page display the titles of electronic reserve readings for a course: click on an item's title.
- The article may be password protected; if so, you will see a copyright acknowledgement screen. You can ignore this. The web address (URL) of the item/article is in the address field of the web browser. Copy and paste this URL onto your Blackboard page.
Note: When your students access an item/article on electronic reserves from your Blackboard or personal web page, the reserves' copyright acknowledgement screen may first appear. At this point your students will need the password you assigned to the course to get to the item/article.
What are the differences between Blackboard and Electronic Reserves?
They are alike in many ways. A major difference, of course, is that
for Electronic Reserves the libraries handles "scanning" - the conversion
of print materials into electronic format. For those faculty who have print
materials on reserve in addition to electronic reserves, the library's electronic
reserve's site provides a list of print materials on reserve, as well as the loc
ation
of the materials (in which library), and the "status" of the materials (in-use,
available).
The "Guest" access option on Blackboard may, in some circumstances, violate copy
right guidelines.
What copyright restrictions are involved?
Please see the following: