Types of Reserve Items

All requests must be submitted through Canvas

Tampa campus:

Make a Reserve Request

USF St. Petersburg campus: email questions to the Access Services Department


Journal Articles, Chapters in Books

We will make photocopies of journal articles and chapters in books. Request should not exceed the limits of fair use (see “Copyright Basics“). Photocopied materials will be scanned and made available electronically as PDF documents on Canvas.

Books and E-Books

If a book is not available in the USF Libraries collections, we will attempt to purchase it in a timely manner. To expedite ordering books, include publisher and date of publication, ISBN and edition. If the Library owns an e-book copy of the item, a hard copy book will not be ordered.

File Upload

Please supply documents that you have prepared as electronic files. We use Adobe Acrobat Exchange to convert file formats to Portable Document Format (PDF). We accept the most popular word processing, spreadsheet, and image formats.

Free-Text

Instructors can upload electronic file items to their courses without first having them reviewed by reserves staff. The Free Text reserve item request is not controlled by document type restrictions. Free Text item submissions are automatically made available to your students on Canvas.

DVD/CD and Streaming Video

The USF Libraries have a wide variety of media resources and titles you can place on reserve. Media items can help broaden instructional methods and student understanding. Streaming media available through the Libraries catalog can also be linked to your Canvas course. The Media Resources: Images, Video, and Audio guide lists available titles and gives instructions for how to find these materials in the catalog.

warning If you would like to reserve an item for one particular day for use in a classroom, please use our Media Scheduling Service. If you would like to place an item on hold to pick up, please use our Shelf Service Retrieval Request »

Please submit all streaming video requests through the Course Reserves function in Canvas. The maximum number of videos per course will continue to be limited to five (5) units. If you are using a video that is currently expiring mid-spring semester, we recommend planning to use the video before the expiration date. If you would like additional help finding alternate material, please contact your Liaison Librarian.
USF Tampa campus: VHS and DVDs can also be scheduled for pick up for specific lecture dates via the Media Scheduling Services form. Media scheduling will also help you schedule a Media Center classroom in the library. USF St. Petersburg campus: VHS and DVDs can be checked out for one week for faculty to show in their classes. We encourage faculty to then add these materials to the course reserves.

Material Eligible for Course Reserves

  • Instructors may place items (USF Tampa Library materials or their own personal materials) on reserve status for the students in their courses.
  • Unless copyright to the item is owned by the instructor, personal reserve items must be original commercial copies owned by the instructor. The USF Tampa Library cannot accept items which are borrowed, rented, home-copied, or recorded from television.
  • The USF Tampa Library reserves the right to refuse to accept a reserve request if, in the judgment of its staff, fulfillment of the request would involve violation of copyright law.
  • Streaming media available through the Libraries’ catalog can also be linked to your Canvas course. The Media Resources: Images, Video, and Audio guide lists available titles and gives instructions for how to find these materials in the catalog.
  • Rush purchase requests will be considered for books the Library does not own, with the exception of textbooks not included in the Textbook Affordability Project »

Ineligible Material

  • USF Tampa campus library acquisition of textbooks is limited to the abilities of the Textbook Affordability Project »
  • USF Tampa campus: Reference and bound periodicals collections.
  • Material from the USF Libraries Special Collections.
  • Material on loan from another library or obtained through ILL and UBorrow.
  • Material rented from a commercial establishment.

Retention Policy

  • Items are removed from reserve at the end of the semester.
  • USF Tampa campus instructors that need items for a new course/term must make a new request for the material via the new course in Canvas.
  • USF St. Petersburg campus Instructors that need items for a new course/term should Make a Reserve request or email questions to the Access Services Department
  • Due to limited space, personal items placed on reserve should be picked up promptly. Although precautionary measures are taken to secure all items, the USF Tampa Library cannot assume responsibility for the loss of personal items.

Copyright

The guidelines for all reserves, including electronic reserves, are based on the provisions of fair use as stated in the United States Copyright Act of 1976 and the University of South Florida Use of Copyrighted Materials Policy »