Course Reserves for Students

Free Access to Your Course Materials

Course Reserves are materials for your class that have been set aside at the library for students to borrow for free, lessening the amount of materials that must be student-purchased each quarter. Instructors may choose to place books, media, articles, and more onto Course Reserves.

Course Reserves and the Equitable Access Program

A Course Reserves reading list works alongside the campus Bookstore’s Equitable Access program and Bookshelf.

Currently, Course Reserves provides access to digital copies of course materials available to enrolled students (Shields Library only). While the EA program provides low-cost access to required course materials, the reading list provides no-cost access to both required and recommended course materials.

Does Your Course Have a Course Reserves Reading List?

Course Reserves reading lists reside on your Canvas course site. If your instructor created a reading list for the course, you’ll be able to access it by selecting “Reading List” from the left-side navigation bar. If “Reading List” doesn’t automatically appear in this bar, you may add it in your Canvas settings.

• Step by Step: How to Access Course Reserves in Canvas

If your instructor hasn’t created a reading list yet, please let library staff know and we will contact the instructor. Better yet, ask them yourself! Instructors are far more likely to create a reading list when they hear directly from their students.

Understanding Your Course Reserves Reading List

Your Course Reserves reading list in Canvas is much more than a simple list. It is a dynamic tool that allows you to interact with the library and other students in your course:

• Link directly to digitized PDFs or library e-books
• Like useful citations
• Cite citations for papers
• Save citations to your collection for future reference

Get Course Reserves Materials

At the Davis Campus

Course Reserves materials on the Davis campus are online only. Students enrolled in courses that have created a Course Reserves reading list may access these materials via their Canvas course site.

At Blaisdell Medical Library on the Sacramento Campus

In addition to online materials, the Blaisdell Medical Library on the Sacramento campus offers a self-serve Reserves collection for the benefit of the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and other Health Sciences graduate groups.

Borrowing Blaisdell Reserves Materials

• Materials have limited loan periods and permissions of 2-hours to 4-weeks.
• Materials with an hourly loan period may be borrowed overnight if the normal due date/time falls during hours that the library is closed; these materials will be due back the following day, one hour after opening.

Renewing Blaisdell Reserves Materials

• Materials may be renewed up to their maximum loan period, which varies based on the original loan period. Maximum loan periods range between one day (for 2-hour loans), three days (for 1-day loans), three weeks (for 1-week loans), and three months (for 4-week loans).
• Materials cannot be renewed if the item is requested, the user’s library account is suspended or expired, or if the maximum loan period has been reached.
• If unable to renew the material, it must be returned by the due date/time to avoid overdue fines.

Returning Blaisdell Reserves Materials

• Materials must be returned directly to the library circulation desk from which it was borrowed
• Materials that are requested by another user cannot be renewed. Borrowers who take reserves materials out of the library should make arrangements to ensure the prompt return of materials requested by another borrower.
• Borrowers who fail to renew or return reserves materials on time will be fined and, if replacement billed, have their library privileges suspended until the material is returned or the replacement bill is paid in full.
  • Overdue fines for hourly loans: $5/hour or portion thereof past due
  • Overdue fines for daily loans: $5/day or portion thereof past due