Materials reserved by professors for courses may be available either online or in physical copies at one of our library reserve desks. Online material include journal articles, book chapters, streaming media, e-book copies, etc. Physical items are books, DVDs, and or music scores.
The USC Libraries uses the Automated Reserves System (ARES) for managing these course reserves. ARES organizes online material posted for a class with immediate access in PDF format and URL links. ARES will also list physical items submitted for reserve with their check out loan times and reserve desk location.
ARES is a single point for instructors to submit requests and for students to gain access to assigned class readings which can include articles, book chapters, streaming titles, etc. ARES is maintained and operated by the USC Libraries' Integrated Document Delivery (IDD) department to manage and differs from Blackboard since there is an option for reserve requests to be obtained by library staff instead of instructors obtaining and uploading material.
In ARES, instructors can:
- create a course to centralize their physical and electronic reserves access for students
- submit physical reserve requests (book, personal book copies, DVDs, etc.) for their course(s)
- submit electronic reserve requests for articles, book chapters, and other materials from library resources and have library staff obtain and post on your behalf
- upload their own or existing articles, book chapters, and other documents for their course(s)
- clone (copy) a class and reserve requests from a previous semester or year and re-post reserve items without having to re-submit individual requests again
- link to USC Libraries' e-resources
For in-depth instructions, physical reserves locations, and information, consult this Research Guide.