Course Reserves

Helmke Library offers physical reserves for courses with the following stipulations:

• Reserves must be in conjunction with a Purdue Fort Wayne course.
• Requests must be made by the course instructor or a departmental representative.
• No more than 20 items may be requested per course, per semester. If you feel more items are necessary, please contact your liaison librarian.
• One item may be requested per reserve request form. Multiple items on reserve will require multiple submissions of the request form.
• Reserve items must not contain chemical or liquid components.
• Requests will be processed in the order received. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing. For items we do not own, the two-week processing time begins once we have received the item(s).
• Helmke Library does not verify enrollment in a course before lending materials on reserve; materials are loaned to students based on request.
• Helmke Library cannot guarantee reserve items will be returned from loan in a timely fashion or in the same condition in which they were loaned. If the reserve item is fragile, rare, difficult to replace, or holds sentimental value, please discuss alternatives with your liaison librarian.
• Requests do not roll over from semester to semester automatically. You will need to submit a new request form each semester for each title you intend to have on reserve.
• Usage or reproduction of any item placed on reserve must meet fair use guidelines. Please see our Copyright guide for more information.

Please complete the Reserve Request Form at least two weeks prior to the date you wish the material(s) available.

Course reserves are additional materials an instructor sets aside to be available for their class. These materials may be supplemental readings, the course textbook, a DVD or CD, and/or even a piece of equipment. Students come to the first floor service desk and request access to the item, and the service desk employee retrieves it and checks the material out to the student using their Mastodon ID Card. Once the loan period has ended or the student has finished with the material, they return it to the service desk.

To put material on reserve, the instructor or their proxy must complete the Reserve Request Form. The material(s) can be part of the library’s collection or from the instructor or department’s collection. You must complete the form for each item you want on reserve.

We require two weeks processing time for reserve requests; processing time begins once we have the request and the required materials in house. If the instructor or department is providing the material(s), each item must be received with a printed copy of the request form confirmation email.

The library may also purchase books and materials for reserve that are not currently in our catalog. Requests for purchase should be routed through the department’s liaison librarian.

Items borrowed through InterLibrary loan (ILL) cannot be put on reserve.

Instructors are welcome to place their own personal materials on reserve for student use. To help ensure these items are returned safely, please label all materials clearly with your name and department.

While the Library Staff handles all materials with care, we want to be transparent: placing personal items on reserve does come with some risk. We cannot guarantee material(s) will end their time on reserve in the same condition they began. Items may experience wear and tear, or may be lost or not returned by students. If this happens, we’ll notify you promptly and do our best to recover the item. However, please note that the library cannot assume responsibility for replacing or repairing personal materials.

The Reserve Request Form must be completed prior to materials arriving in the library for reserve.

Personal copies will be available for pick up at the end of each semester or by arrangement.

Helmke Library is committed to supporting your instructional needs through our course reserves service. To help us manage resources effectively and ensure equitable access for all courses, we kindly ask that no more than 20 items be placed on reserve per course, per semester.

If you anticipate needing more than 20 items for a single course, we completely understand and are happy to work with you. Please reach out to your liaison librarian—we’ll gladly review your request and explore options together on a case-by-case basis.

Also, don’t forget we offer a variety of alternative solutions that may be even more convenient for you and your students. For example, we can help you create an online course reading list or LibGuide that links directly to our catalog. These tools let students check availability and even place holds for pickup—saving everyone time and ensuring easy access to materials.

Need help digitizing materials to use in your course?  Our Digital Initiatives Lab can assist you with navigating the copyright and technical requirements.