Brookdale Community College maintains a reserve collection of course- related materials to support the College curriculum programs. The Library policies for reserve services are borrowed from the fair use guidelines Copyright Act of 1976 (17 U.S.C Section 107)

When to Submit Reserve Requests

In order to assure of the availability of materials at the start of classes, submit requests for the fall semester by August 15, spring semester by January 2, and summer sessions by early May.  Reserves are processed in the order received.  Requests submitted during the first week may not be available for immediate use.   At the end of each semester, most reserve materials are taken off reserve and returned to the faculty with usage statistics.

Please make sure your materials are on reserve before making assignments.  Search the Library catalog by professor's name and course name to confirm that materials have been processed and ready for students to use.  Students must have a valid Brookdale Community College ID and an active barcode to check out reserve materials.

How to Submit Reserve Requests

All reserves must be submitted on a Reserve Request Form.  Copies of the reserve form are available at the Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor.  Please fill out the form completely and use one form for each course.  The reserve loan periods are as follow: "room use only", overnight and one-week.

What to Place on Reserve

• Books - Brookdale Community College Library books.  If a book is not available, the Library will attempt to purchase it in a timely manner.

• Photocopies - The Library will place photocopies of journal articles and book chapters on reserve.  The number of copies on reserve should not exceed the limits of fair use guidelines.  The Library will place  approximately one copy for every 15 students enrolled in the course to a maximum of five copies.

• Personal Copies - The Library will place personal copies or textbooks on reserve, but cannot be responsible for loss or damage. Course packets will be placed on reserve as personal copies.

• Media Materials - Faculty may place Library and/or personal copies of videos, CDs and audiotapes on reserve.  The Library will restrict student use of library items to "room use only".   The loan period of personal copies will conform to faculty specification.

General Guidelines for Reserve

• Materials will be placed on reserve at the request of the faculty for noncommercial and educational use by the students.

• Photocopies of a complete book or an entire issue of journals will not be placed on reserve.

• Students and library users will not be charged for access to the reserve collections.

• Photocopied materials will include a notice of copyright, stamped on the first page, indicating that materials may be covered by copyright laws.

• The Library will not place materials on reserve if the nature, scope, or extent of copying is judged to exceed limits of fair use.

General Guidelines for Copyright Information

The instructor is responsible for obtaining copyright permission for materials placed on reserve.

A.  Copyright Permission Needed:

  1.  Materials which do not require copyright permission include:
       *  the exams, syllabi, and lecture notes from the instructor
       *  government publications,
       *  a single journal or magazine article used for one semester,
       *  a single book chapter used for one semester, works of art used for one semester,
       *  material for which the professor or instructor owns copyright.

   2. Materials which require copyright permission are:
       *  a journal article, magazine article, or book chapter intended for use for more than one semester.
       *  multiple chapters from a single book or multiple articles from a single journal or magazine.

B. Copyright Clearance Center

Placing photocopied materials on reserve may require copyright permission.  Use of the same photocopied materials in multiple courses or for successive years will generally require permission.  Faculty may wish to contact the Copyright Clearance Center  (CCC) for additional information.

C. Sample Copyright Permission Letter

Click here to see a sample "Draft Letter to Publisher" which faculty may use to request copyright permission.  The Library will incur all fees related to copyright permission.  Submit request or bill to the Library Director's office (732/224-2449).

Copyright Guidelines Statement

Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976.  Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair Use Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of copyrighted work, including such use by reproductionin copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified in that section,for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.  In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is fair the factors to be considered shall include:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

Questions and Assistance

For additional information and assistance with placing materials on reserve, please contact the Library at 732/224-2935.