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Course Reserves

A guide for students and faculty to learn about course reserves

How do I make sure my books get on reserve?

The easiest way to make sure your books are on reserve is to submit your book list on time to the book store. The library and the books store share the software that tells students what books are required for what class, and every semester we at the library generate at list of what books to put on reserve from it. 

If your items are submitted late, or you are choosing an alternative means for your students to acquire textbooks (such as buying from the publisher) you can email or call the library's Course Reserves Specialist, or fill out the Course Reserve Request Form.

What is an "Instructor-Owned Reserve?"

Sometimes an instructor has an extra copy of a required item that they do not personally need. If they choose, they can loan or donate them to the library to be put on course reserve. These items generally have the same check-out time as regular course-reserves (1 semester) and are  great help to the library and Cabrillo students. If you are interested in putting an item on reserve, please contact the Course Reserves Specialist at reheine@cabrillo.edu.

Why can't my book be put on reserve? How do I fix it?

We do our best to make sure every required book for class is available for checkout, but sometimes we simply can't acquire them. Here are some of the more common reason:

  • It's a "rental only" item. Some publishers are making their items only available through rental. Theoretically, this should save students money, but what it really does is end the used-textbook market and make it virtually impossible for the library to acquire.
  • The book cannot be accessed without an access code. The library does not acquire access codes. Sometimes we do acquire books with access codes and may have extra code available for a student. Some books that require codes for use are not purchased due the book being unusable without the code.
  • The book is out of print. If the book is out of print, we will do our best to find a used copy of it, but we aren't always successful. 
  • The book is not a required text. The library only puts required items on reserve. We do not typically put recommended items on reserve, but if you have something that you want to make sure your students have access to, please contact the Course Reserves Specialist at the Cabrillo College Library.

Making sure all students have access to items is very important! To help ensure the library get items and make them available to your students, please make sure that:

  • Your required textbook list is turned into to the bookstore. The easiest way to make sure the library gets your required textbooks is make sure the bookstore gets your list in a timely manner. The library and the bookstore share the software that is used to create the book purchases. If you don't use the bookstore, please contact the Course Reserves Specialist directly.
  • Your items are not rental only. We can't buy items that are only available to rent.
  • Items are readily available for purchase. Is it only available through a special distributor? Let us know! that way we can make sure to get it in a timely manner.

I think my items are on reserve; how do I check?

The easiest way to check to see if your item is on reserve is the same way your students do:

  1. Using any computer or your cellphone, navigate to the library's website: https://www.cabrillo.edu/library/
  2. Click on the "Search" button
  3. In the new tab, select "Advanced Search"
  4. Select "Textbooks and Reserves"
  5. To search by instructor:
    1. In the Field drop-down (it should be automatically set to "Any Field") select "Course Instructor"
    2. Enter the instructor's last name
    3. Click "Search"
  6. If you want to narrow your search down further, on the left-hand side of the screen you will find the "Refine your results" pane. You can narrow class, publication date, or availability (this option is especially good for looking eBooks)

If you can't find an item that should be tied to your class, please contact the Course Reserve Specialist.

We try to make sure we always have the most up-to-date copy and correct edition, but sometimes things happen. Alerting us to missing items also helps us make sure all items are tied to the proper classes. If you can't something, please alert the Course Reserves Specialist and we will get it fixed as soon as possible.