StaffGuide: User Services

Course Reserves Info & Procedures

The University of Arkansas Libraries Course Reserves service allows faculty and instructors to make recommended or required course materials available to their students, whether those materials are print, electronic, video, or audio.

Course Reserves are made available to students in two different ways:

  • Electronic Reserves (e-reserves) are items such as journal articles, book chapters, lecture notes, streaming media, or test examples, that are converted into digital files and made available through LibGuides, accessible via course reserves from the library's webpage.
  • Print and Media Reserves are placed at the appropriate service desk with limited checkout times to allow all students in a particular course to share the materials equitably.
    You may search for print and media reserves by the instructor's name or course number using the course reserves tab on the library's webpage. You may also search for course reserve materials by book title in OneSearch.

The Course Reserves service operates within copyright and fair use guidelines and is not intended to replace course packs sold through the University bookstore.

All course reserves are processed by the appropriate Course Reserves Specialists. All questions about course reserves and/or making requests should be referred to the appropriate contact below.

Contact Information:

Mullins Library
479-575-4345
Mullins Library Room 411
reserves@uark.edu

Fine Arts Library
479-575-4708
Mullins Library Room 411 (temporary location during FAL renovation)
falib@uark.edu

Chemistry and Biochemistry Library
479-575-2557
Chemistry Building Room 225
chemres@uark.edu

Physics Library
479-575-2505
Physics Building Room 221
physlib@uark.edu

Reserve Collection

Reserve materials are books electronic files, DVDs, and streaming media that have limited circulation because of their priority use for a class or project. Reserves are items that have been requested to be placed on Reserve by an instructor for a course. Reserve materials may include library books, personal copy books, electronic files, DVDs, streaming media, and any other item that has been barcoded and scanned into Alma such as sample tests, journal articles, or other course materials.

The length of the loan time on a reserve item is determined by the instructor when the book is placed on reserve. The label on the item will identify the length of the loan period.

  • Most items are 2-Hour Reserves. These items may be taken out of the library during the day (for two hours or less) or checked out within two hours of closing and due back before closing.
  • There are also items that are loaned for longer than 2-hour, such as 4-hour, 1-day, 2-day, etc. All items may be taken outside the library for use.
  • If items are not returned within the loan period a fine will be applied to the patron’s account, which is stated on the loan sticker on the front of the item. Reserve items may NOT have fines waived, and reserve items may NOT be renewed.

Course Reserve items are normally searched by course number and/or instructor's name. Mullins Help Desk staff can search for these items using the online catalog or Alma. From the library’s home page (https://libraries.uark.edu/) click on “Course Reserves.” Search by instructor name or by class (course number or name of the class).

The patron should identify the item needed. For books and/or other material on the reserves shelves, the library staff will retrieve the item, as all course reserve items are typically housed behind the desk of the lending library. ONLY one reserve item may be checked out at a time. Instructors may check out items longer if it is for a course in which they are teaching and were the ones that placed the item on course reserve.

If a patron insists that an item should be on Course Reserve, but it is not listed in the online catalog or in Alma, search for the item by title in OneSearch. If the item is found in the main collection, the patron may check it out for 16 weeks. If the item is not owned by the library, the patron may talk to their instructor and ask them to request the item for course reserves by filling out the course reserve form.

To check out reserve items:

  1. The patron must have a current UA I.D. number in Alma.
  2. Scan the patron's I.D. card and verify the patron’s information.
  3. Scan the barcode of the item being checked out by the patron and demagnetize the item.
  4. Hand the item to the patron and remind them of the due date/time. (The due time will be displayed on the screen.)
  5. Be sure to close out the patron’s account and remind the patron that their due date receipt was sent to their UARK email.

To check in reserve items:

  1. From the Return Screen in Alma, scan the barcode to check-in the item.
  2. Do not put the item in transit.
  3. Re-sensitize the item.
  4. Re-shelve the item on the appropriate course reserve shelf in call number order.