Access Services: Reserves

• Reserves are available anytime during the Library's normal operating hours.
• Contact the Reserve Desk at 508-929-8524 or loans@worcester.edu. 

• Faculty members assume responsibility for any infringement of the U.S. copyright laws. The Library staff will not place items on reserve that we know to be a violation of the laws, including books from other libraries.
• We will not place on reserve items owned by rental companies or bootleg copies of personally copied videos as this is a clear violation of U.S. copyright laws.
• Faculty members placing personal copies on reserve do so at their own risk. The Library staff cannot be responsible for loss or damage to personal copies on reserve.
• Library copies of journals are not generally placed on reserve as we prefer photocopies to be submitted instead. However, in the interest of preserving a journal issue, we will place an entire journal issue on reserve for short-term assignments.
• Faculty members must fill out a standard request form for all materials to be placed on reserve. There is a limit of 3 copies of any one item to be placed on reserve.

Due to the potential spread of COVID-19 through frequently handled materials, the Library has updated our Course Reserve Policy, effective for the Spring 2021 semester.

Physical Reserves

Only course reserve books that have a loan period of 24 or 72 hours will be permitted. All reserves books must quarantine for a minimum of 24 hours before they will be eligible to be checked out by the next patron.

Media materials (DVDs) may circulate for 2 hours in the Library. These items will be disinfected upon return before being eligible for checked out to the next patron.  

Physical Reserves are located behind the Circulation Desk.

Electronic Reserves

Faculty who have course materials that require quick turnaround times should consider e-reserves.  The library has many subscriptions to eBooks and other electronic resources that can be made available through the e-reserve platform.  Depending on cost and availability the library may be able to acquire additional eBooks for course reserve.  If a digital copy of a potential reserve is not available, the library may provide a section of material through the e-reserve platform.  In order to remain in compliance with copyright, faculty must provide a list of the required chapters for each book submitted along with a course syllabus.  Scanned materials will be released according the schedule provided in the syllabus. 

Course Reserve Requests

All course reserve requests should be submitted through our e-Reserve platform: https://libguides.worcester.edu/er_request.php.  
A syllabus for each course with reserve materials must be uploaded along with the e-Reserve request, or sent to loans@worcester.edu.

Library Hours for Summer 2021

Sunday 10am-6pm;   Monday-Friday 8am-5pm;   Saturday Closed

Reserve Desk The Library's Reserve Desk is located at the Circulation Desk. Our Reserves Collection contains material designated by WSU faculty as high-use or required readings for specific courses. A small number of items unrelated to specific courses also are located on Permanent Reserve.

The Reserve Desk is part of Access Services.

Reserve forms are now available for your convenience. Please email completed forms as an attchment to loans@worcester.edu

BORROWING PROCEDURES

Students are required to present a valid WSU OneCard in order to use any item on reserve. Since all reserve items must be checked out through our automated circulation system, we cannot accept any other form of identification. No exceptions can be made.

Loan periods are determined by the faculty member who places the material on reserve. The options are:

• 2-hour reserves may not be taken out of the Library. 
• 24-hour reserves may be taken out at any time and are due back within 24 hours.
• 72-hour reserves may be taken out at any time and are due back within 72 hours.

Non-print items, such as videos, DVDs and audio compact discs, placed on reserve are housed behind the Circulation Desk. 

A valid WSU OneCard is required for use of the non-print reserves; no other form of identification will be accepted. No exceptions can be made to this policy. 

The Circulation Department and Reserve Desk of the Worcester State University Library recognize and respect the privacy of its patrons, whether students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni or other borrowers. In a library setting, a user's right to privacy includes the freedom to inquire about any information without having their records open to others. Records are maintained solely for the purpose of protecting the material in the Library's collections. Unless fines or other exceptions occur, when a borrowed item is returned to us, all records are cleared and no history is maintained, either by item or by borrower. 

Furthermore, it is Library policy that we do not give out any information about patrons or the materials they have checked out or materials consulted. Law prohibits the staff from giving out any information regarding a person's library account to any other person regardless of their status or identity, without a subpoena, search warrant, or court order. 

The Library at Worcester State University supports and adheres to the American Library Association's "Policy on the Confidentiality of Library Records." adopted January 20, 1971 and revised July 4,1975, and July 2, 1986. 

Items on reserve are listed in the Library's online catalog. Items are listed by department, course title, and instructor. Materials on each list are arranged alphabetically by title. 

Material will be placed on reserve within 72 hours after receipt from the faculty member.

We request that faculty members not assign any readings until we have notified you that the material is available on reserve. We cannot give students any material that has not been processed.