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Student Resources

Welcome to the University Libraries! We have many services and resources to help you succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get free text books from the library?

A selection of textbooks are available from the library, but it is misleading to say they are free. Nevertheless, there are 3 ways to obtain textbooks from the library.

  1. Check out the Course Reserve materials at the library service desk at Bierce.
  2. Use the library catalog to search for a textbook from the main circulating collection at Bierce.
  3. Request a textbook through the OhioLINK borrowing system.

Who can request a textbook be placed on Course Reserve?

Course reserve requests must be made by the course instructor.

How long can I take out a Course Reserve book for?

The default checkout for most library reserve materials is Same Day checkout.  With Same Day checkout, materials are due back by library close.  There are some exceptions to this checkout period upon instructor request.


What happens if I decide to keep a Course Reserve book past the due date?

Course Reserve fines are 50 cents per hour, so keeping out Reserve books past the loan period adds up quickly. After 5 days of keeping the book out, the fine will add up to $180 dollars, and you will receive a billing notice from the library. The book must be returned promptly or significant disciplinary charges will follow.

Can I renew a Course Reserve book?

All Course Reserve books must come back at the due time or due date.  If no one else is waiting for the book after, you may check it out again to use.

Are all of my textbooks available from the Library's Course Reserve?

No, not all textbooks are available through Course Reserves. A professor must first make the request before a book can be processed and added. If you are in need of a textbook that is not available through the library, you may ask your professor to add it.

 

Looking up Course Reserves

Search for Course Reserve books in the University Library's catalog by limiting to the Course Reserve collection (as detailed above), or by searching on the Reserves tab.

 

  • Course Reserve items can be searched by the name of the course instructor (Last name, First Name), the course name, or the course number (ex.  MATH:149).

 

  • Reserve items may also be searched by book title, ISBN number, or library call number. Note: different versions of a textbook can have differing ISBN numbers, so is recommended to search in more than one way for a book.