Course Affordability

Course reserves refers to physical materials which are set aside so that they are available to students in particular courses. Items are placed on course reserves at the request of instructors. Course reserve materials can be borrowed using your i-card. Lending periods for materials on reserve are typically two hours, though instructors may specify different lending periods. Some materials may only be used in the library building. When you borrow materials on reserve, ask the library worker to specify restrictions on the materials.

To find out if an item is on reserve, search for it in the library’s course reserves. You can use the drop-down menus under the search bar to search by material type, title, course instructor, course ID, and more options. 

Students can request that instructors put materials on reserve. This can be useful if the Library only has one physical copy of a book or other material that is required for a course. Placing it on reserve will prevent it from being checked out by one person for the standard borrowing period.

To request that your instructor puts materials on reserve, contact your instructor and ask them to fill out the course reserve request form. You can also link the Reserves Guide for Instructors in your message. Not sure how to contact your instructor? See the template below, and check out the Writers Workshop for more guidance. 

Be sure to adjust the language of the email to address the number and titles of the texts needed for your course. 

Subject: Course Reserves for [class title and number]

Body: 

Dear [Professor's title and full name], 

My name is [your first and last name and nickname, if applicable], and I am in [class and section]. I am emailing you to ask if you would be willing to put the required text for this class, [title of text], on reserve at the University Library. The Library has a limited number of copies, and putting textbooks on reserve allows more students access. The Library provides information about putting textbooks on reserve [https://guides.library.illinois.edu/reserves]. Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely,

[your name]