What may be placed on Reserve?
Material placed on Reserve fall into two categories: copyright-protected materials and other materials. Only nine copyright-protected items can be placed on Reserve per class per quarter.
| Item Type | Number of items allowed on Reserve |
| Published books not owned by the MSOE Library | Part of 9 |
| Chapters from published books | Part of 9 |
|
Articles from journals, magazines and serials which are
not news periodicals. Only three articles can come from the same journal, magazine or serial title during an academic quarter. |
Part of 9 |
| Material created by the faculty member: syllabi, course materials, lecture notes, problem sets | Unlimited |
| Current news articles from newspapers, periodicals such as Time, Newsweek, or Aviation Week & Space Technology. | Unlimited |
|
Books owned by the MSOE library However, it is at the discretion of the Reserves Coordinator whether or not an MSOE-owned book is made available as a Reserve item. |
Unlimited |
“Part of 9” means that you can have a total of nine items that fall under this category (4 articles, 5 books or 6 book chapters, 3 videos, etc). This number does not apply in those cases where permission from the copyright holder has been obtained to use the protected material.
What may be placed on Electronic Reserve?
Many of the same rules apply for both Electronic and Traditional Reserves. The "part of nine" rule includes Electronic Reserve materials. Copyright-protected items can be located in either Electronic Reserves or Tradtional Reserves, but not both. The following rules also apply:
- Entire copies or books or periodicals cannot be placed on Electronic Reserve.
- Only a single chapters of published books can exist on Electronic Reserve.
- The chapter cannot be "consumable" in the course of study; it cannot consist of exercises, standardized tests of workbook sections.
- The scanning of a chapter for Electronic Reserves cannot substitute for the purchase of a book.
- The chapter cannot be repeatedly scanned for use Electronic Reserve use by the same instructor from term to term.
Can I place the same items on Reserve from term to term?
Copyright-protected materials cannot be placed on Reserve during consecutive terms unless permission has been obtained from the copyright holder.
Materials not protected by copyright can be placed on Reserve from term to term.
Can I only place nine items on Reserve?
Only nine items that are protected by copyright can be placed on reserve at one time. Materials not protected by copyright (see the table above) are not numerically limited. Also, materials created by the faculty member, such as syllabi and course notes, are not limited.
Can I make my own Reserve Area on my personal website?
The answer depends on the type of materials that is placed on the website.
Materials created by faculty as part of his or her job duties are owned by MSOE under the work made for hire doctrine. These materials can include lecture notes, syllabi and problem sets. There is no limitation on the copying of such materials, or the placement of these materials on the professor's web page. Also, materials not protected by copyright, like government documents, may also be placed on personal web pages.
Material protected by copyright, however, are not allowed to be published on personal websites. Not-for-profit educational libraries, such as the MSOE Library, do enjoy the explicit right under Section 108 of Title 17, US Copyright Law, to make a single copy of a protected item for Reserve purposes.
Teachers and professors do not enjoy these explicit legal rights. For more information about this, see the Agreement on Guidelines for
Classroom Copying in Not-For- Profit Educational Institutions With Respect To
Books And Periodicals.