Course Reserves

Course Reserves, in alignment with the Libraries Textbooks & E-First Statement, is now an E-first initiative since 2020. This program supports both physical and electronic course reserve materials. All course reserve materials must be requested by faculty via Leganto. 

Updates: 

• Leganto Interface Changing: Ex Libris is updating the user interface of Leganto. This will go live for GMU Libraries on 1/9. This will not affect any of the functionality or existing readings lists. 
   
• TextSelect Program: this program is undergoing a brief pause for Spring 2025. All physical materials a part of TextSelect program currently will remain on reserve. The Libraries remain committed to supporting students who need access to unaffordable required course materials, and plan to return in Fall 2025 with a more efficient approach to textbook reserves for required courses. 
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  We encourage faculty to place requests for course reserves for any textbooks needed via Leganto. For questions about placing textbook reserve requests, please contact the Reserves Team at ereserve@gmu.edu. For questions and concerns about access to textbooks or any other aspect of the Libraries’ collections, please reach out to your subject librarian. 

Course Reserves is a service provided by GMU Libraries for students and faculty. Faculty members place course reserve materials on either physical or electronic reserves for their students. Any materials needed for course reserve must be requested through Leganto by faculty. All electronic reserve materials are available through the course LMS and Leganto. All physical reserves are made available at either Fenwick, Mason Square, or Mercer Library. 

Physical Reserves: are books or media that faculty members place on temporary reserve for the semester to circulate for a shortened-loan period for their course. Items circulate as 2-hour, 4-hour (media only), 1-day, 3-day, or 7-loan periods. All physical reserves are located behind the information desks at the Fairfax, Mason Square, and Mercer libraries. 

Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves): are book chapters or articles that are requested by faculty to made electronically available via Blackboard. 

Permanent Reserves: The University Libraries has small “Permanent Reserve" collections.  These consist of items determined - based upon value, usage and/or theft patterns - to require restricted in-library-use only access. This is distinct from Course Reserves, which are linked to a specific course for the length of the term. If a faculty member thinks an item should be evaluated for Permanent Reserve, they need to contact their subject librarian.

TextSelect Reserves: are a semi-permanent reserves collection that is apart of GMU Libraries' TextSelect Program, a project to help address the cost of required textbooks. The Libraries' collection now includes required textbooks that exceed $50 for the following 100, 200, 300 & 400 level required courses.