Faculty & Staff Resources

Course Material Access via Freel Library

Before the start of each semester, the library reviews the list of course adoptions that faculty have reported to the campus Follett bookstore.

  • Items that are already in the library's print collection are automatically placed on course reserve.
  • If the library owns an electronic edition of a title, or if an instructor has reported an OER title to the bookstore, we will add it to our Course Texts with No-Cost Online Access spreadsheet and notify the instructor. Please consider letting students know that free access is available and sharing links via Canvas.

Please note: The library only purchases course materials for the collection when they fall within our Collection Development Guidelines. In general, traditional textbooks and many streaming videos fall outside of these guidelines.

Course Reserve Information for Faculty

The Course Reserve Collection is located at the Circulation Desk, which is staffed all hours that the library is open. Students must use reserve items in the library and will need an MCLA ID to borrow them.

What may be placed on reserve?   

  • Print books or physical media (DVDs, etc.) owned by Freel Library 
  • Personal copies of books or course packs supplied by instructors 

Items from other libraries may not be placed on reserve at MCLA. The library reserves the right to reject any item that, in its judgment, does not meet criteria for being placed on reserve.  

How do course reserves work for students?  

Students may borrow reserve items anytime the library is open by presenting their MCLA ID card at the circulation desk. By default, reserve items are available to students for short-term, in-library use only. The library is happy to work with faculty to accommodate other lending arrangements (e.g., 24 hour loan; semester loan) that would better suit your students’ needs. 

What if the library does not own an item I’d like to place on reserve? 

  1. Personal copies: You may place your own copy of any commercially produced item on course reserve. Bring or send any personal copies that you wish to place on reserve to the Circulation Desk of the Freel Library, attn: Laura Dear. Please note: 
    • The library may affix barcodes and other labels to personal items.  
    • Faculty place personal copies of items on reserve at their own risk. The library will do its best to recover any unreturned items, but the library is not responsible for replacing lost or stolen items. 
    • Personal items will be returned to you via campus mail at the end of each semester. 
  2. Purchase requests: You may request that the library purchase materials to add to the collection and place on your reserve shelf. Please allow 2-4 weeks or more for the library to order and process requested items. Note: Due to budget constraints, the library does not purchase new copies of traditional textbooks. Requests are subject to standard selection criteria. 

What about electronic items (ebooks, OER, streaming video, articles, etc.)? 

  • Faculty are encouraged to upload and/or link to electronic items directly from Canvas. Librarians are happy to consult on how best to provide access to any given item.  Check our Course Texts With No-Cost Online Access to see if your textbook is available.
  • As of FY25, the library no longer purchases one- or three-year licenses for streaming films. Subject to budget availability, the library will continue to purchase streaming films that are available via a perpetual or life-of-file license.

If you have any questions about course reserves, please contact Laura Dear, Learning Resources Specialist, at x5340 or Laura-Lynn.Dear@mcla.edu.  

Format-specific considerations

Traditional textbooks: The library typically does not purchase print copies of traditional textbooks due to a combination of high cost, relatively short shelf life, and limitations on access. In addition, publishers' terms of service prevent the library from sharing access codes. Faculty are welcome to place personal or departmental copies of textbooks on reserve; these will be returned at the end of each semester. The library also holds a textbook drive at the end of each semester and adds to the collection any donated textbooks that are being used in courses.

Academic and popular monographs: When cost and availability permit, the library normally purchases electronic editions of course texts. When print is the most suitable format (e.g., an ebook edition is either unavailable or cost-prohibitive, or the faculty member expresses a preference for print), we will purchase items in print, subject to normal collection development guidelines, and place them on reserve.

Videos: Cost-permitting, the library will acquire DVDs or perpetual/life-of-file licenses for films that are required viewing in MCLA courses. The library no longer purchases one- or three-year licenses for streaming videos but will work with faculty to identify options for access. The library subscribes to a substantial collection of academic videos, AVON, which can be used in and outside of the classroom. See Screening Videos in the Classroom for more information.