Guide for Requesting Materials (Faculty)

Who can make a request?

All faculty and instructors can make a request in the Reserves System for any material they would like to obtain. If you have an assistant, you can set them up as a deputy so that they can make requests on your behalf. The Reserves System is not only for reserve, but for any material you want to read. We will use a variety of methods for obtaining materials for you. These methods include purchasing a copy for the Library’s collection, obtaining it through interlibrary loan, or retrieving a Columbia Morningside campus library copy for you.

How do I log into the system?

All faculty members must have an active CUNI account in order to use the Reserves System. Log in with your UNI (letters and numbers before the “@” symbol of your Columbia email).

How do I set up a cunix account?

Please read the Computing and Technology page for more information.

I am having a problem with my cunix account. What should I do?

Academic Computing takes care of CUNIX IDs. You can contact them at 212-678-3302 or at acs@tc.columbia.edu . Alternatively, you can visit the Email and Network Access Information for Faculty/Staff page.

I don’t monitor my cunix email. How do I set up another email account?

The Reserves System uses your Preferred Email Address to send out automated messages about the progress and status of your request. In most cases, your CUNIX email is listed as your Preferred Email. However, if you don’t monitor your CUNIX account, you can change your Preferred Email Address through your Department’s Administrative Assistant or through the TC Information System .

How do I make someone a deputy?

Log into the Reserves System with your UNI (letters and numbers before the “@” symbol of your CUNIX account). Then look for MY DEPUTIES along the top bar. To add a deputy, type the CUNIX ID of the person you would like to add as a deputy. The name will appear with an “X” next to it. You may delete an existing deputy by clicking the "X" to the right of the respective name.

Please note Every potential deputy must have signed into the Reserves System at least once before the faculty member can make them a deputy.

How can I find someone’s UNI?

The Columbia Directory allows one to look up someone and find his UNI

How do I request materials for reserve?

Go to MY CLASSES/CLASSES I AM TEACHING. Look for the appropriate class folder under SELECT A COURSE by using the pulldown menu and then click GO. Then choose one of these:

Add reserve items to this course using items from your personal list of fulfilled items.

Request a new item to be added to this course.

This will link the specific request with that class. Fill in all the information you have about the book, chapter, or article.

I have the article (or chapter) in hand. Can I bring it to the library?

Yes. If you have the article or chapter in hand and can bring a copy to the library (the quickest way to mount your e-reserve readings), please click the button indicating that you will bring a copy to the library. Please be sure to print out a receipt once you have entered the request. If the article is from an online database, we will not scan in your copy, but link to the database.

I do not have a copy of the book, video, chapter, or article. Can you get it for me?

ARTICLES & CHAPTERS: If you do not have the article or chapter, our staff will try and obtain the article or chapter by searching the TC Library and Columbia Morningside Campus databases and libraries first. If it not available, then we will request it through interlibrary loan.

BOOKS, VIDEOS AND OTHER PHYSCIAL ITEMS: If you have a request for a book, video or other material to be put on Library reserve, we will search the TC Library to see if we own it. If the TC Library owns the material, but it is in use, we will issue a recall from the current patron. If we do not own it, we will purchase a copy on your behalf. You may bring your personal copy to the library in the meantime and we will return it when the library copy arrives.

Can I put a Columbia or Interlibrary loan book, video, etc on reserve?

No. Only TC Library books, videos, etc., and, temporarily, your personal copies can be put on physical reserve. For this reason, it is very important that you mark your requests for reserve.

Can I put my coursepack on reserve?

No. We do not put compilations of articles and chapters on reserve as a group. If you need some of the materials in the coursepack on e-reserve, please enter separate requests for each one that is needed. We will adhere to adhere to copyright guidelines in processing these requests.

Can I put my personal copy of a book, video, etc on reserve?

Yes. We will put your copy on reserve temporarily and then try to obtain a copy for the library’s collection. Once that copy is obtained, we will return your personal copy. Our goal is to have only Library materials on physical reserve.

Do I need to enter a separate request for each chapter or article?

Yes. Please create a separate request for each article or chapter you need. Because of copyright issues, we can only put 2 chapters (complete chapters only) on e-reserve. If you need more than that, we will need to put the physical book on reserve. We will put one article from a journal issue on e-reserve.

My readings are not in my class folder. How do I move them?

If you specified the class when you made the request, the reading will appear in that folder. If you did not, the fulfilled request will only be in your main folder: MY FULFILLED REQUESTS.

- Go to MY CLASSES/CLASSES I AM TEACHING

- Choose the appropriate folder for the class

- Select this option:

- Add reserve items to this course using items from your personal list of fulfilled items.

- You will see this: Items from the New Items Folder

- Click on all, or choose which ones you want to add.

- Click on ADD SELECTED TO MY COURSE after you have selected the readings

Another option is to move readings that are in the personal folder you have set up for a group of readings, or a class that you teach often. Follow the above directions, but scroll down and look for your personal folders.

Will my reserve readings remain on reserve all year long?

At the end of each semester we are required to take down all e-reserves in order to comply with copyright guidelines. Books, videos and other physical items can be left on library reserve from semester to semester.

Can I reuse readings from previous semesters?

Articles and chapters, once fulfilled, remain in your folder: MY REQUESTS/MY FULFILLED REQUESTS.

- Go to MY CLASSES/CLASSES I AM TEACHING

- Choose the appropriate folder for the class

- Select this option:

Add reserve items to this course using items from your personal list of fulfilled items.

- You will see this: Items from the New Items Folder

- Click on all, or choose which ones you want to add.

- Click on ADD SELECTED TO MY COURSE after you have selected the readings

Another option is to move readings that are in the personal folder you have set up for a group of readings, or a class that you teach often. Follow the above directions, but scroll down and look for your personal folders.

How long does it take for a reserve request to be processed?

Usually a day, but it depends on what you have asked for. If you bring in the article or chapter, we can usually process it within a day. If we need to obtain the copy for you, it can take anywhere from a day up to four weeks, especially if we need to obtain the material via interlibrary loan, or if the TC or CU book is currently checked out and we need to do a recall for it, which takes at least 14 days. Requests are processed in the order received, so it is best if you plan on getting your reserve requests in two to four weeks before the semester begins.

How will I know if my request is filled?

You will receive an automated email once your document is fulfilled. You can also check your FULFILLED folder or your CLASS FOLDER.

Please note the Reserves System uses your Preferred Email Address to send out automated messages about the progress and status of your request. In most cases, your CUNIX email is listed as your Preferred Email. However, if you don’t monitor your CUNIX account, you can change your Preferred Email Address through your Department’s Administrative Assistant or through the TC Information System .

Can I add an article on my own?

Yes. If you find an article in a database, such as ProQuest or JSTOR, or something on the Web, you can go to MY REQUESTS/FULFILLED and look for Add a Web Article on your own. Click on it and fill in the data and the link. When we receive it, we will look it over and add any missing information and check that the link is stable.

How do my students access reserve readings?

Students can log into the Reserves System with their UNI and password. They should go to MY CLASSES/CLASSES I AM TAKING and look for the appropriate class folder.

Can my students access reserve readings through Classweb and Blackboard.

Yes, if that is the platform the faculty member has chosen and the readings have been moved into the class folder. Students can also access all readings in the Reserves System.

I need help with Classweb.

For help with Classweb, please contact Patrizia Magni at 212-678-8212 or magni@tc.edu , or go to 234 Horace Mann.

I need help with Blackboard.

For help with Blackboard, please contact the Teaching Support Group .

Copyright Information

In general, Teachers College follows the Columbia University Reserve Guidelines.

Also see our Information about Copyright.

Can I put departmental certification exams on reserve?

No, you cannot put these exams on reserve. Since the people are not in an official class, there is no way for them to log into a shared class folder. You can put your departmental certification exams in PocketKnowledge (TC's institutional digital repository). Please contact us for assistance.

I have questions about my Course Reserves/Request for Materials/Interlibrary loans.

You can contact us here.
Or, for more information, go to Interlibrary Loan