Course Reserves

Design Reading Room Course Reserve Information

The Design Reading Room partners with Parks Library to provide student access to items on course reserve. Reserve lists are now available through your course in Canvas. See the Course Reserves page in the Library for more information.

For courses in the College of Design, course reserve materials in physical format (primarily books and DVDs, both library-owned and instructor-owned) are housed in the Design Reading Room, and can be requested at the service desk. Items that can easily be digitized--including journal articles, book chapters, lecture notes, and sample exams--are available online via the instructor's reserve list. 

Instructors are asked to observe the following guidelines when placing items on course reserve:

  • Due to limited shelf space, please place only required (not optional) readings on reserve.
  • Reserve lists are processed in the order in which they are received. To ensure that items are available by opening of classes, provide as much lead time as possible.
  • If you personally retrieve books from Parks Library, please leave them with a staff member (not student employee) at the Parks Library Circulation Desk. You will need to leave a note that includes your name and the relevant course name/number.
  • Personal copies of books, DVDs, etc. are welcome; however, the Reading Room cannot guarantee these items against theft or damage.
  • Commencing summer 2012, the Reading Room is phasing out the use of "Class Readings" notebooks on course reserve. Items traditionally deposited in these notebooks (typically photocopied journal articles, book chapters, lecture notes, etc.) will be digitized and made available online--both for improved student access, and for enhanced copyright compliance.

The Reserve shelves are cleared during each break. Library-owned items are returned to their permanent shelving locations; personal items are returned to instructors. Digital readings are also removed from public access when they are no longer on reserve.

For more information or assistance regarding course reserves for the College of Design, please contact Tim Panages (515 294-0418) if you have questions.