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Tips and Policies for Accessing Physical Course Reserves

AUTUMN QUARTER 2021 UPDATE: Both e-resources and physical materials (books and media) will be available. Most physical reserves titles will be held centrally in Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Instructors may find more information on our Course Reserves FAQ or by consulting your subject librarian.

  • Procedures for finding physical reserve materials vary from library to library.
    • Many units have open reserves where you can find the materials on the shelves yourself.
    • Other units have closed reserve shelves where you need to write down the call number(s) and present them to the reserve desk staff along with your UW Husky Card.
  • Loan periods also vary.

If you have questions, check with the library you are using.

  • Reserve materials cannot be renewed.
  • Users returning reserve items must wait 15 minutes before checking the same item out again, to enable equity and opportunity for all eligible users.  This limit does not take affect if the Library is within 15 minutes of closing.  UW Bothell maintains a separate wait time structure.

  • All days or hours are counted for fining purposes whether the library unit is open or closed. Any part of a hour is computed as a full hour.
  • See Fines page for more information.

  • Reserve materials must be returned to the library where they were checked out.
  • If the library is open, they must be returned to the circulation/reserve desk.
  • If the library is closed, they may be placed in the book return of the library where they were checked out.
  • Items returned to anyplace other than where they were checked out are not counted as returned until they reach the original checkout library. This may take several days. During this time, fines will be charged.

  • All reserve materials checked out on their card.
  • Knowing when reserve items are due, and returning them on time.
  • Understanding the Libraries' fine and circulation policies.
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