Faculty, TA and Academic Staff questions | Student Questions
What you can do to speed up reserves processing
1. How can you help me with my course reserves?
We will place hard copies of course materials on reserve at Rotch Library or scan articles/chapters and upload them to a course’s stellar site.
2. How do I submit a reserve request?
Use the online form.
Please do not send your list to an individual staff member. By using the online form, your list will be sent to the entire Rotch reserve team and we will be able to help you faster, especially if one staff member is sick or on vacation.
3. When should I submit my reserve request?
Submit your request as soon as possible to make sure it is available to your class. We are very busy around the beginning of the semester so the sooner we receive a request, the faster we can process it.
4. How long will it take for items to be placed on reserve?
It may take 1 to 2 weeks before materials are available if requests are submitted at the beginning of the semester.
Requests made before the start of the semester or during the middle or end of the semester usually take a maximum of 1 week.
Requests for a large number of materials will be completed in batches, with materials needed for the beginning of the semester scanned or placed on reserve first, followed by other materials.
5. Can I place a course reader or a personal copy of a book on reserve?
Yes, just stop by Rotch Library and drop off the item at the circulation desk.
6. What can’t be put on reserve?
Due to copyright restrictions we can only scan 10% of a book (approximately 2 chapters) or 1 article from a journal issue.
Materials that exceed these limitations will be placed on reserve in Rotch library.
Books from non-MIT libraries cannot be placed on print reserve. If you would like a book placed on reserve that the MIT libraries does not own, you may drop off a personal copy of the book or request that we order it.
Books that are ordered may take several weeks to arrive, especially if they are published outside the United States, so submit your request as soon as possible.
7. Who do I contact with a question about my reserves?
The Rotch Library reserve coordinators are Jennie Murack and Rosemary Hanley. You can contact them via email at rotch-res@mit.edu.
What you can do to speed up reserves processing:
- Submit lists in an electronic format, preferably as a Word document.
- Clearly indicate which readings should be scanned and which should be placed on print reserves.
- Include the call number for each item.
- Double check to make sure MIT owns the books on the list. If we don’t own an item…
- …and you would like pages scanned, let us know right away and we can work with you to obtain the book from another library.
- …and you would like it placed on print reserve, drop off a personal copy or request that we order the book.
- If an item needs to be scanned, make sure the required page numbers are marked and also indicate to which section of the stellar site completed scans should be uploaded.
- Indicate the date by which materials need to be uploaded to stellar or placed on print reserve. This helps us prioritize our scanning, especially during busy periods.
- Include your contact information on the reading list in case we have any questions.
