New name, same service: Course Materials

Course Materials is the new name for items for loan at the library related to courses, such as textbooks. We've changed the name from Reserves. Reserves is one of those library words that you have to learn the meaning of and is confusing for new students. After consultation with students and considering best practices at other universities, we arrived at Course Materials. In the end, that is what they are!

Each of the Libraries will have an area for Course Materials, some behind a Service Desk, others in a self-serve Course Materials room.

Cameron Library has a room for Course Materials and Holds. Here you can see a mock-up of the upcoming signage.

Augustana Library has Course Material behind the desk. Here's a mock-up of how the new signage will be visible at the desk.

The Libraries will receive new signage in the fall to make finding physical course materials easy in each location. We continue to work closely with the campus Bookstore to acquire required textbooks/course readings and make available to students on short-term loans.

Of course, many readings and other media are available in a digital format and can be directly obtained from the Course Materials section on the Libraries’ website.

Instructors are encouraged to use the Reading List service, so items can be added to our Course Materials collections.

For physical items, they will be placed in a Course Materials area in one of the libraries, and given a short-term loan period (usually two hours). For further information, please email us at coursemat@ualberta.ca.