Electronic Reserves (eReserves)

Faculty (whether or not they use Blackboard) can request certain materials from the library to be placed on electronic reserve. Those resources can be made available to students via a link from within Blackboard. This ensures the resources are password protected, in accordance with copyright requirements.

After the semester has ended, the materials will be made unavailable and cannot be used for subsequent semesters. If faculty plan to use the same materials again, they will need to request a new Blackboard course for that semester and submit a new request to the library. 

Request a Blackboard course 

Whether or not Blackboard will be used in a course, the faculty member must request the course in Blackboard in order to use eReserves. Click here to learn more about requesting a course in Blackboard with the Blackboard Faculty Tools (BFT).

Make your Blackboard course available

After the course has been requested, it needs to be made available so that students can access eReserves materials. Click here to learn how to make Blackboard courses available

Place materials on electronic reserve at the library

Complete details regarding submitting full-text electronic reserve requests are available on the library's eReserves page

After requesting for materials to be placed on electronic reserve, the faculty member will be notified via email once reserve materials have been secured.

Access eReserves materials

Once your eReserves materials are posted by the library, you and your students can access the eReserves materials within your Blackboard course. You can share these instructions with your students to explain how to access eReserves.

Ultra Course View

In the Details & Actions section to the left of the course, find the Books & Tools heading. Click the View course & institution tools link, then click eReserves in the list of available tools. 

Original Course View

In the course menu, click Tools. Then, click eReserves in the list of available tools.

Add a link in Blackboard to electronic reserve materials

You can make it easier for students to find and access eReserves by adding a link to your Course Content (in Ultra Course View) or on your course menu (in Original Course View). This is particularly important for Original Course View if you prefer to hide the Tools link on your course menu. 

Ultra Course View

In the Details & Actions section to the left of the course, find the Books & Tools heading. Click the View course & institution tools link, then click the plus sign (+) next to eReserves. Once the link has been created, you can move it anywhere in your list of content as well as into a folder or module by clicking and dragging on the arrows on the right side of the link (the arrows appear when your cursor is over the link).

Original Course View

Click the plus sign (+) at the top of the course menu. Click Tool Link from the menu. Type eReserves in the Name field. Open the Type drop down menu and choose eReserves from the list of tools. Click the Available to Users checkbox. Click the Submit button.


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Get Help

Technical Support and Student Help

Division of IT Service Desk

815-753-8100
servicedesk@niu.edu

Teaching Support and Faculty Help

Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

815-753-0595
citl@niu.edu

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