Textbook Alternatives for Faculty

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, 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.

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.