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Course Reserves & Electronic Course Materials

A collection of library and faculty course materials for use in the Library and online.

The Role of LIS

Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines allow for use of certain types and quantities of materials to be used in the learning environment (in the classroom and online).

Faculty are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the materials they use in the classroom abide by Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines. 

LIS provides consultation and guidance around Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines.  This includes reviewing materials for use within Course Reserves, eReserves, and the online learning environment.

Copyright & Fair Use for Course Materials

Course Reserves is a collection of materials intended for short-term loan and usually restricted to use within the Library.  LIS staff also assists with Electronic Course Materials.

What can be added to Course Reserves?

Materials with explicit permission from the publisher may be added to Course Reserves and used as required course readings.  Short of this, legally obtained materials that meet Copyright and Fair Use standards for academic use may be placed in Course Reserves. 

Learn more about Copyright and Educational Fair Use.

What cannot be added to Course Reserves?

  • Materials that were not obtained legally such as feature films recorded off-air (i.e. from a TV broadcast).
  • Materials that do not measure favorably against the four factors of fair use.

Please consult with LIS staff for further guidance if you have any questions around copyright and educational fair use standards.

Georgia State University Take-Aways

The lawsuit filed by three academic publishers against George State University resulted in a landmark court judgement.  The following document is an excellent summary of the key rulings and their positive implications for educational fair use.

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(860) 786-1851 (text/SMS)
(860) 701-5156 (phone)