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Faculty Services and Resources

Statement on Copyright & Fair Use

The Roosevelt University Library is dedicated to enriching the teaching and learning environment at Roosevelt University by cultivating curiosity and knowledge; encouraging lifelong learning; providing access to quality information and resources; and teaching our community to critically evaluate and use information to create new knowledge. As such, we are committed to respecting the rights of copyright holders, and we make every effort to comply with federal copyright law. We recognize that copyright is a means of encouraging the creation and dissemination of new information, which enhances our community and society as a whole. At the same time, copyright law enables certain fair uses of copyrighted works in order to speed the dissemination of knowledge and create a lively public domain for discourse and learning.

The Roosevelt University Library facilitates compliance with U.S. copyright law, and where appropriate, the exercise in good faith of full fair use rights by faculty and staff in teaching, research, and service activities. All materials placed on reserves must comply with the regulations set out in Title 17 of U.S. legal code. It is the responsibility of faculty members to acquaint themselves with the copyright law as it relates to their use of materials in the classroom and those places on reserve in the library. The library will do its best to ensure that materials placed on reserve are in compliance with copyright law, and as such we have created the following guidelines for placing materials on reserve.

For questions about Fair Use or Copyright please contact Thom Jencks.

Guidelines for Reserves

Preparing Materials for Reserve

  • All documents must include the complete citation. For articles this should be on the front or first page of the document. For help with preparing your citations please consult Purdue University's Online Writing Lab or ask a Librarian.
  • Make sure your materials are legible and in good condition.
  • Decide how long students should be able to check out the items on physical reserve: 3 hours, 2 days, or 7 days.
  • Be sure to submit items in advance of when your students will need them. Submit books six weeks prior to the needed date; articles should be submitted no later than 2 weeks before the needed date.

 Where Do Reserve Items Come from?

  • Books/portions of books: if the library owns the book, we can place that copy on reserve. If the library doesn’t own the book and it fits within the subject area selection criteria, the library may be able to purchase the book. Instructors should contact their subject liaison to inquire about this option. Otherwise, the instructor must supply the copy.
  • Journal articles: if the article is available through the library databases, a link to the article can be put on the course’s reserve page. For more information about creating persistent links to libraries databases, click here to navigate to the Online Learning tab. Otherwise, the instructor may provide a paper or electronic copy.
  • Other items: if the library owns the item, we can place that on reserve. Otherwise, the instructor must provide a personal copy.

 Student Access to Reserves

  • Reserve items are only accessible by students enrolled in the course.
  • For e-reserves, students can access the materials online at any time at http://libguides.roosevelt.edu/er.php. Many students find this option more convenient than physical reserves. To ensure that only enrolled students access the materials, library staff will assign a password to your course e-reserves page. You should share this password with your students, but no one else.
  • For physical reserves, students can access the materials during regular library operating hours at the Circulation Desk of the library. Faculty can indicate if they want the item at the Murray-Green Library, the Performing Arts Library, or the Schaumburg Library.
  • Reserve materials will bear a copyright notice, either on the physical item or students will be required to acknowledge the notice before accessing e-reserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I place textbooks on reserve?

Textbooks, books written primarily for classroom use, may be placed on physical reserve for students to use for short periods of time. However, we will not scan textbooks or portions of textbooks to be placed on electronic reserve, as this typically does not fall under fair use guidelines.

Can I place more than one copy on reserve?

Reserve space in the library is limited. The number of copies on reserve should be in proportion to the students enrolled in the class, the difficulty of the material, and the length of time for the assigned reading. We can place multiple books on reserve when appropriate. We cannot place multiple copies of book chapters or journal articles on physical reserves.

How long do materials stay on reserve?

Reserve items do not carry over from term-to-term. If you wish to keep an item on reserve, you will need to resubmit the reserve request. We ask instructors to pick up their items promptly at the end of the term. We do not have space in the Library to hold items not picked up.

Reserves Contacts by Library

 Wills Waites

 Anita Hwang

 JoEllen Coney

Contact Us

Murray-Green Library

312-341-3639 or refdt@roosevelt.edu

Schaumburg Campus Library

847-619-7980 or schilib@roosevelt.edu

Performing Arts Library

312-341-3651 or palref@roosevelt.edu