Requesting Course Materials

For Academic Year 2023-24, Gutman Library will continue fulfilling course materials requests in digital format, with an expanded effort to fulfill book chapter requests by acquiring unlimited user ebooks when available.  Why unlimited user ebooks when just a chapter or two needed? Acquiring unlimited user ebooks:

• helps Gutman Library grow its overall collection to benefit all students, faculty and researchers
• keeps student course materials fees low since ebook licensing costs are lower than single chapter pdfs that need to be relicensed for reuse 
• allows perpetual use year over year -- no need to request for reuse

A few things to keep in mind:

• not all electronic resources have unlimited access, when this is the case we pursue every option available within copyright parameters to fulfill your request
• when no electronic version of a book is available, we will use a physical copy to create a digital copy for digital online reserve, which have a 3-hour loan period.
• preparing course materials for digital access can take between 1-4 weeks. Requests are processed in the order they are received, be sure to provide a "need by date" in your request and we will do all we can to accommodate

Read more about how Gutman Library reviews and make decisions about how best to fulfill course materials.

Re-using course materials:

• If re-using any print materials on the Reserves List Tool in Canvas from your previous course: Please use the Gutman Library Course Materials Request Form to submit a request for the title to be purchased or licensed electronically. The Library will verify if available electronically. If it is not, we will provide alternative digital access. Gutman Library will contact you if any issues arise.
• If re-using any electronic/digital item on the Reserves List Tool in Canvas from your previous course: no action is necessary. The item will be retained and available for your course. Delete/remove any items that will not be re-used.

  • Note: If re-using an item previously available digitally through the HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access service from Academic Year 2020-2021, please use the Gutman Library Course Materials Request Form to submit a request for the title to be purchased or licensed electronically. The Library will verify if available electronically. If it is not, we will provide alternative digital access. Gutman Library will contact you if any issues arise.

• If re-using a local/HGSE digitized item (a digital chapter PDF) on the Reserves List Tool in Canvas from your previous course: no action is necessary. The item will be retained and available for your course. Delete/remove any items that will not be re-used.

Requesting new course materials:

Already available at Harvard

• If you need an electronic item/resource you haven't previously used, but is already owned by Gutman or another Harvard Library, you can add the new item by clicking on the blue plus sign icon in the Reserves List Tool in Canvas. Use the search tab to locate the item, then select the item and add it.

Not yet available at Harvard

• Please use the Gutman Library Course Materials Request Form to submit a request for the title to be purchased or licensed electronically. The Library will verify if available electronically. If it is not, we will provide alternative digital access. Gutman Library will contact you if any issues arise.
• Complete a new citation request in the Reserves List Tool in Canvas for the item you have requested for purchase. When the item from your request form has been received, it will be automatically updated and available in the Reserves List Tool in Canvas for your course.

Canvas Assistance

The IT Service Center will assist with technical questions about setting up the Reserve List Tool for your courses in Canvas. 

Course Materials Process

Please contact Carol Kentner, Gutman Library Digital Scholarship Librarian, with any additional questions about course materials and using the Reserve List Tool. You can also explore our FAQ entries about course materials processes and tools.

Faculty Assistants Support

Be sure to coordinate and collaborate with faculty assistants who have been trained to acquire and manage course materials. Please contact Matt Tallon, Administrative Director of Faculty Support Services, with questions on faculty assistant support.