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Eres FAQ (Acquisitions: Document Delivery Services)

E-Reserves: Frequently Asked Questions

What is ERes?
The IUB Libraries offer electronic reserve services for your convenience and that of your students. Our ERes system is robust, dependable and flexible, providing access to course reserve materials anytime and from any location. If you have used traditional print reserves, simply contact your library service point and ask about electronic reserve services. All but one of our campus libraries directly provides the service.
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How do e-reserves work?
IUB Libraries have licensed a system (Docutek) that allows us to create, store and provide access to electronic files, as well as providing copyright information in one location. IUB's version of Docutek can be found here: http://ereserves.indiana.edu/
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How Will ERes Benefit My Students?
Electronic reserve materials are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be used from any computer with a web browser. Links to articles on ERes are automatically available to any class member who has the class password. You can also link into your class reserves from within OnCourse, by including a direct link to your own class ERes page in your syllabus, class schedule, or class announcements. If you link directly to your class ERes page from within OnCourse, your students will be able to see materials on ERes without needing to use the password. For materials on ERes, there is no need for your students to connect through a special proxy URL to link to the full text.
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Can anyone use it?
Only students who have the password to a particular course may access course readings online. The instructor of the course will distribute passwords and login information to students. The materials will not be available after the semester is over. If some of the resources are needed at a future time when the course is taught again, we will issue new passwords and logons for the next course. 
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How Can My Students Access ERes?
ERes can be accessed through OnCourse or through the Libraries web site. Your students will need:

  • The title and instructor for your course
  • The password for the class. You will receive this password from the library when your class ERES account is set up and should distribute it to all class members. Remember, if you link directly from your OnCourse pages to your ERes class page, your students will not need the class password.
  • Adobe Acrobat software (available for free from IUWare Online or on the IUWare CD available from the campus bookstore)
  • A computer that can accept "cookies."
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What can I put on ERes for my students to access?
Any printed or electronic material (journal articles, book sections, class notes, links to web resources, etc) that meets copyright guidelines for fair use is eligible for ereserves.
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Copyright/Fair Use Restrictions:
Fair Use Guidelines limit us to no more than 10% of a book, and no more than one article from one issue of one journal title per course, and Indiana University Libraries or the instructor must own the title that is being placed on reserve. As always, the Herman B Wells Library will purchase books that are not owned by the IU Libraries and are needed for reserves. It will be the responsibility of the instructor to insure that all materials fall under the fair use guidelines. (resources for copyright guidelines for e-reserves can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~tltl/projects/copyright_cate.html).  
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What software do students need to use the system?
Most materials in ereserves will be in .pdf format. However, direct URLs, Word documents, picture files and more are also available in ereserves, depending on the format of the material. Computers will need to have Adobe Acrobat loaded, and cookies must be enabled.
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How do instructors submit materials for ereserves?
Bring the materials to the desk in the Media and Reserve Services Room of the Wells Library, or to any campus library. We will need a complete citation for each article submitted - this is critical for our copyright compliance. You may either attach the citation directly to the article, or you may provide us with a syllabus/bibliography of all reserve materials, just as before.  
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Can I place materials on the Ereserves system myself?
Yes, you can place materials on the Ereserves system once you have completed a short training session. These sessions are periodically offered through TLTC, or you may schedule an individual session by contacting Sherri Michaels at shmichae@indiana.edu.
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What about course packs?
Assembled course packs and photocopies of materials from course packs are not eligible for ereserves. However, if an instructor submits a photocopy from the original source, and it complies with fair use guidelines, the article may be placed into ereserves.
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What if the material I want to put on reserve does not fit within copyright guidelines for fair use for e-reserves?
The Libraries are developing a policy and procedure for these materials. Until that policy is developed, we will continue to operate our print reserves system in the Wells Library.  
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Do not hesitate to ask questions about reserve items. If the desk attendant cannot help you, please contact the Wells Library Reserves Coordinator (855-8399). librsvp@indiana.edu.  
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