Course Reserves Request Form - Books 

Streaming Request Form - Films

Books and eBooks

Submitting Requests

All course reserve requests must be submitted via the Course Reserves Request Form - Books.

This form is for requesting books, either ebooks or physical books, to be put on reserve for a course and/or that will be used for a course. Please do not use this form to request streaming films or DVDs (see below for details regarding streaming films and DVDs).

All course reserve requests (both physical books and ebooks) must be submitted via the form. If you have more than ten (10) reserve requests for the same semester, please email lib.reserves@purchase.edu instead of filling out the form multiple times.

All physical library Course Reserves requests must be submitted by the instructor of record or their delegate (e.g. a learning assistant, administrative assistant, etc). Library staff cannot enter requests on behalf of instructors.

These forms should be used both for items that are already in the Library’s collection and for materials that the Library needs to purchase to fulfill your reserve request.  Prior to placing your reserve request, please check the Library Discovery Search and limit your results to Books/Media @ Purchase to see if we have an item in our collections. The Library cannot place personal copies of books on reserve. 

To request that the Library buy an item to add to the collection (i.e. you do NOT want to place this item on reserve at this time), please do not use one of the course reserve request forms. Please contact your subject liaison or use the Library’s Make a Recommendation Form.

In order to comply with copyright laws, the Library can only place the original copy of a book or film on reserve; photocopies and/or burned discs cannot be accepted.

If you need assistance locating materials (texts, media, or other original materials), please contact your subject liaison.

Processing Times

  • Requests for items in the Library’s collection can take up to two (2) weeks to process. Please note that this processing time can be even longer if the item is checked out and needs to be recalled.
  • Requests for items that are not part of the Library’s collection can take up to eight (8) weeks to process. Depending on how difficult the item is to obtain, processing time may exceed ten (10) weeks. 

Reserve requests are processed in the order in which they are received. Last-minute requests will not be prioritized.

Loan and Reserve Periods

  • All books on reserve are held at the Circulation Desk. Books are on reserve for the entire semester. Some items are on reserve for the full academic year, based on usage and/or cost.
  • The loan period is for 3-hours for books. Please see Borrowing & Renewing for complete loan period and fines information.
  • Items on reserve do not leave the Library. Exceptions can be made for faculty who need to use a reserves book in a class, on a case by case basis. Please contact your subject liaison for assistance.

If you have any questions about these policies, please contact your subject liaison for assistance.

eBooks

To request ebooks for your courses, please use Course Reserves Request Form - Books. Please note that not all titles are available as ebooks or have an ebook license for libraries.

You can explore the Library’s current holdings on our eBooks Guide. Please note: Discovery Search does not show all of the ebooks to which the Library has access. For best results, search within individual ebook databases on the eBooks Guide or ask your subject liaison librarian for help.

All previously requested ebooks are still accessible via the same URLs provided at the time of initial request.

DVDs and Streaming Films/Video

DVD/Film Reserves (Academic Film Collection)

Videos on reserve are held in the Academic Film collection. Films are included in the Academic Film collection for a variety of reasons such as cost, rarity, and to ensure access to students as part of course reserves. The loan period for films/DVDs is four (4) hours.

Films in the Academic Film collection do not leave the Library. Exceptions can be made for faculty who wish to have an in-class screening of a reserved film.

Please email Valencia Wallace (valencia.wallace@purchase.edu) for the following reasons:

  • To request films from the Academic Collection for a 7-day loan period
  • To request an extension to the 7-day loan period
  • To request additions to the Academic Film collection. As with books, the Library will prioritize purchasing films in streaming format and can only purchase films that are directly tied to coursework.
  • Please advise students whose academic work requires films from the Academic Film Collection to email Valencia Wallace and loan arrangements can be made on a case by case basis.

Streaming Films/Video for Courses:

  • Timing: Reserve requests are processed in the order in which they are received. Last-minute requests will not be prioritized. Processing time: it can take 10+ weeks to go from a request to a licensed streaming video that is ready for use.
  • Submitting Requests: All course reserve requests for streaming video must be submitted via the Streaming Requests Form (requests submitted via email will not be accepted). The Library is currently only allowed to acquire streaming video that directly supports course work and is required viewing for a course. All reserves requests must be submitted by the instructor of record or their delegate (e.g. a learning assistant, administrative assistant, etc). Library staff cannot enter requests on behalf of instructors.
  • Availability: We cannot guarantee all requests will be fulfilled or that electronic/streaming versions of every title exist. Please plan submit requests early and plan alternatives when possible.

Search for Items on Physical Course Reserve

  1. To find out which items are on Reserve at the Library, use the new Library Discovery Search box.
  2. Start typing your search terms, then select “Course Reserves” as the scope from the drop-down menu that appears.
  3.  Click on “anywhere in record” below the search box to narrow your search by instructor, title, course name, etc. 
  4. You can also use the facets in the left-hand column to sort your results by course instructor or course name.  
  5. To check out a book on reserve, write down the entire call number, then go to the Circulation Desk to retrieve the item.
  6. For DVDs, write down the call number, retrieve the case from the Academic Film Collection, then bring it to the Circulation Desk to check out the disc.
For additional tips on how to look up Course Reserve items in the Discovery Search, see our FAQ on finding reserves  at the Library.