BU Libraries | Science and Engineering Library

Course Reserve

Reserve Collection

The reserve collection consists of material selected by faculty and other instructional staff for the use of students enrolled in their classes. It includes books and journal articles, as well as lecture notes, problem sets, sample exams, and other course handouts.

Reserve items are shelved behind the circulation desk and circulate for loan periods of two hours in the library, twenty four hours, or three days. Two-hour reserve items owned by the library are also available for overnight checkout within two hours of closing. Because of heavy demand for this material, reserve loans cannot be renewed and the charges for their late return or replacement accrue at a higher rate than other types of loans.

To view a reserve list for a particular course, select Course Reserves on the main menu of the Library Catalog and search by either faculty name or course number.

Reserves Request Forms

Form A - Books/Items Owned by the Libraries, for Reserve in the Science & Engineering Library

Form B -
Personal Copies
Form B must accompany personal copies of
material and therefore cannot be submitted
electronically . Please fill out online and print.

Form C1 -
Books to be ordered for the Science & Engineering Library

Faculty Request Guidelines

Requests to place material on reserve can be submitted:

using the online Reserves Request Forms
emailed to selresrv@bu.edu
to the Circulation Desk using a paper (printable copy) Reserve Request Form

Please submit a separate form for each course. If multiples of photocopied material are needed, please include them with the form since the Library does not make copies. Keep in mind that extra time will be needed for the purchase of a book not owned by the library (6-8 weeks) or recall of a book checked out to another borrower (2-3 weeks). Otherwise, new reserve material will be available for student use within 48 hours.

Statistics on the frequency of use of reserve material can be provided to faculty at any time during the semester upon request. At semester's end all personal copies are returned via interdepartmental mail to their owners. Items designated for multiple semesters or "permanent reserve" are reviewed for retention every two years.

Please e-mail selresrv@bu.edu with any questions or contact Saraphine Goodwin, Circulation Supervisor, directly at (617) 353-5776.

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