Kabel Nathan Stanwicks, Head Circulation and Media Services Department Electronic Reserves Introductory Tutorial for Faculty

Tutorial Objectives This tutorial will cover the following electronic reserves functions: accessing the electronic reserves Web site; logging onto electronic reserves; navigating the electronic reserves menus; creating a new class; reusing a previous class; uploading reserve items to a class; requesting reserve materials from the library; organizing class materials using tags; adding a second instructor or teaching assistant to a class; creating message board posts; using the chat feature. This tutorial will also provide an overview of student access to electronic reserves and information about ERes content imported into the new electronic reserves system. University at Albany Libraries, SUNY

Accessing the Electronic Reserves Web Site The electronic reserves Web site can be accessed at or by selecting the Electronic Reserves quick link on the University Libraries home page. University at Albany Libraries, SUNY

Logging onto Electronic Reserves After accessing the Electronic Reserves Web site, enter your University at Albany NetID and password and select the Logon button to log onto the system. University at Albany Libraries, SUNY If you forget your NetID password, select the Forget your password? link to the right of the Logon button to reset your password.

Logging onto Electronic Reserves for the First Time New users logging onto the Electronic Reserves system for the first time will be prompted to select their status (faculty member or student) and fill in a brief user profile. All new faculty accounts must be cleared by reserves staff, a process which takes one business day. Once cleared, you may use the electronic reserves system. University at Albany Libraries, SUNY

Navigating the Electronic Reserves Menus: Main Menu University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Once logged in, the following Main Menu page displays. Current course reserves pages are accessible from the list of classes in the center of the page, and the left navigation menu allows users to create new course reserves pages, view previous and upcoming course reserves pages, and manage their accounts.

Navigating the Electronic Reserves Menus: Main Menu University at Albany Libraries, SUNY On the main menu page, the left navigation bar offers menu options for: 1.logging off of the Electronic Reserves system; 2.toggling between student and instructor views; 3.returning to the main menu and list of current classes;

Navigating the Electronic Reserves Menus: Main Menu University at Albany Libraries, SUNY 4.creating a new course reserves page; 5.viewing course reserves pages from previous semesters; 6.viewing course reserves pages for upcoming semesters;

Navigating the Electronic Reserves Menus: Main Menu University at Albany Libraries, SUNY 7.changing one’s contact information (phone number, address); 8.viewing s from reserve staff (these messages are sent to instructors’ addresses and archived here for future reference.

Navigating the Electronic Reserves Menus: Main Menu University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To access one of your course pages from your list of current classes, click anywhere in the row that displays that course’s information. Accessing a course page will allow you to view your electronic reserves, and access a menu of functions (i.e., add reserve items, add a teaching assistant, edit course, delete course) for your individual course.

Navigating the Electronic Reserves Menus: Class Menu University at Albany Libraries, SUNY The course page contains class details (course number and name, instructor, semester), a tag cloud for organizing reserve materials, a list of reserve items, and a menu of instructor class tools (the functions listed in this menu will be addressed in later slides). Menu of Instructor Tools Reserve List Tag Cloud Class Details

Creating a New Class in Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To create a new Electronic Reserves class, select the Create New Class link in the left navigation menu. Then complete the Create a Class form by entering the class name, course number, department, and semester information; create a password for the new class (students will need this password to access this class); click on the Create Class button after completing the form. You may begin adding reserve materials to your page as soon as it is created.

Reusing a Previous Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To reuse a class from a previous semester, select the Previous Classes link in the left navigation menu, and select the class you want to reuse from the list of previous classes. After selecting the class that you want to reuse, you can “clone” the class to reactivate it for the current semester or a future semester.

Reusing a Previous Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Select Clone Class from the Instructor Class Tools menu in the left navigation bar. Complete the clone class form by filling in the class name, course number, department, class semester, class password, and tag cloning information.

Reusing a Previous Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY After completing the clone class form, select which reserve items you wish to carry over to your new class under Reserve Materials to Clone. The default setting is to carry over all reserve items from the previous course. If there are reserve items that you do not wish to use any longer, you may choose not to carry over certain items by deselecting them. Finally, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the clone class button to finish this process.

Reusing a Previous Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY A tip on “cloning” classes… You can clone previous classes following the steps outlined in these slides. You can also clone current classes for future semesters by: selecting a class from your list of current classes; selecting the Clone Class link from the Instructor Class Tools menu; following the steps for cloning a previous class.

Uploading Files to an Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY The Electronic Reserves system is capable of supporting many file formats, and faculty members are encouraged to upload PowerPoint presentations, class notes, sample tests, and other files that students need. If the Electronic Reserves system does not immediately recognize the file format uploaded, reserve staff will contact you to determine which computer program can be used to open your file.

Uploading Files to an Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To upload a file to one of your classes, select the class to which you wish to upload the file. You may select a class from your list of current classes or your list of upcoming classes. To add reserve items to a previous class, clone the class for use in a future semester so that it appears in your list of upcoming classes.

Uploading Files to an Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY After selecting the class to which you wish to upload a file, select Add Reserve Items from the Instructor Class Tools menu in the left navigation bar. Next, select File Upload from the list of items that may be placed on reserve.

Uploading Files to an Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Complete the File Upload form by entering Title and Author information. Then select the Submit Item button to access the file upload screen.

Uploading Files to an Electronic Reserves Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY After completing the File Upload form, you will be prompted to choose a file to upload to your electronic reserves class. Select the Choose File button to select the file you wish to upload. Then select the Submit Item button. Your file will appear in the electronic reserve list for your class.

Requesting Materials for Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Reserve staff will scan journal articles and book chapters, and make these materials available electronically to your students via the electronic reserves system. Instructors must complete a reserve request form, providing full citation information for all requested materials. There are three ways to complete a reserve request form: 1.Complete a printed reserve request form at one of the Libraries’ circulation desks. A single print form may be used for multiple items. 2.Submit a paperless reserve request form (available online at for each book chapter or journal article requested. 3.Submit a book chapter or journal article request form in the Electronic Reserves system, following the instructions in the subsequent slides, for each book chapter or journal article needed for Electronic Reserves.

Requesting Materials for Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To request a book chapter or journal article be placed on electronic reserves for one of your classes, follow the same preliminary steps outlined for uploading a file to one of your classes—select the class for which you wish to add the reserve item(s), then select Add Reserve Items from the Instructor Tools Menu.

Requesting Materials for Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To submit a request for reserve staff to scan a journal article or book chapter and place it on electronic reserves for your class, select the appropriate link from the list of reserve item types. This will direct you to the appropriate reserve request form for the item type you select.

Requesting Materials for Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Complete the Article Request Form to request a journal article be scanned for your course. Complete the form fields for: Journal title, volume, and issue; Article title, author, and pages; Any additional information that may help reserve staff locate the journal article. Select how the article will be supplied— reserve staff can pull and scan the journal article, you may bring a copy to the library, or you may link to a Web page (enter the URL in the space provided if linking to a Web page). Finally, select the Submit Item button to submit your reserve request.

Requesting Materials for Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Complete the Book Chapter Request Form to request a chapter be scanned for your course. Complete the form fields for: Book Title; Chapter Title; Author; Inclusive Pages. If requesting a book chapter from a book in the Libraries’ collection, include the Call Number in the request form. Select how the chapter will be supplied—reserve staff can pull the book and scan the chapter, you may bring a copy to the library, or you may link to a Web page (enter the URL in the space provided if linking to a Web page). Finally, select the Submit Item button to submit your reserve request.

Requesting Materials for Electronic Reserves University at Albany Libraries, SUNY As just mentioned, you may link to a Web page for electronic journal articles and electronic book chapters by entering the URL in the reserve request form. If you would like to include links to other Web pages in your electronic reserves list, select Web Page from the list of items to place on electronic reserves. On the Web Page Form, enter a title for the Web page and the URL, then select the Submit Item button to place the Web page on reserve for your class.

Organizing Electronic Reserves Using Tags University at Albany Libraries, SUNY The Electronic Reserves system uses tags to organize reserve materials in the class reserve list. For example, you can use tags to organize reserve materials by week or class number, or use Tags to organize readings by topic. A Tag Cloud appears above the list of reserve items. Selecting one of the tags from the cloud will display a list of reserve items associated with that particular tag. Tags also appear in the reserve list’s right most column. Tag Cloud Individual Item Tags

Organizing Electronic Reserves Using Tags University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Tags can be created for reserve items when adding individual items to electronic reserves, or tags can easily be added to items already on reserve. To include a tag when adding an item to electronic reserves, simply enter the tag in the appropriate field on the reserve request form (when adding reserve items through the electronic reserves system). To add a tag to an already existing reserve item, select the item from your reserve list and enter your tag in the Instructor Tags field. To use multiple tags, separate your tags with a comma. Or add tags to an existing item by selecting the item and adding instructor tags. Enter your tags in the reserve request form.

Viewing Electronic Reserves Materials University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To view an electronic reserve item, first select the item from your reserve list, then select the View this item link. Your reserve item will display in your browser window or launch the appropriate program.

Adding a Second Instructor or Teaching Assistant to a Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To add a second instructor or a teaching assistant to your Electronic Reserves class, select Class Proxy Users from the Instructor Class Tools menu. Enter the second instructor’s NetID in the box provided, then select Add Proxy User.

Adding a Second Instructor or Teaching Assistant to a Class University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To remove a second instructor or a teaching assistant that you have added to your Electronic Reserves class, select Class Proxy Users from the Instructor Tools menu. Then select the link to remove the user from the list of Proxy Users for your course.

Creating a Message Board Post University at Albany Libraries, SUNY The Electronic Reserves system offers a message board feature that instructors can use to post discussion topics for online asynchronous discussions among students in their courses. To add a discussion topic to your electronic reserve course, select Messageboard from the Instructor Class Tools menu and select the New Topic link to create your post. Message Board topics do not appear in your electronic reserves list—students and instructors must select the Messageboard menu item from the left navigation to access posts. To view a Message Board thread, select the topic from your list of Message Board subjects.

Creating a Message Board Post University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Enter a subject and message text for your message board post, then select the Post New Topic button to post the message to your electronic reserves course.

Creating a Message Board Post University at Albany Libraries, SUNY To reply to a message board topic, select the subject from the Message Board, type your reply, then select the Post Reply button.

Using the Online Chat Feature University at Albany Libraries, SUNY The Electronic Reserve system offers an online chat feature that instructors can use to hold online office hours and real-time discussions, and students can use this feature to communicate with one another in real-time, too. To access the chat room, select Chat from the Instructor Class Tools menu. The chat room will launch.

Using the Online Chat Feature University at Albany Libraries, SUNY If you wish to save a chat session as a reserve item so that all students may view the chat, select the link the Save the chat as a reserve item.

Student Access to the Electronic Reserves System University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Please instruct your students to access the Electronic Reserves system at or by selecting the Electronic Reserves link on the Libraries’ homepage. Students must authenticate using NetID and password. This ensures that only current University at Albany students are able to access the system. After logging onto the system, students may search for your electronic reserves course using the Search/Add link in the left navigation menu. Instructors must distribute the class password for their electronic reserve materials. Students will be prompted to enter this password the first time they access your course. After completing this second authentication step, your electronic reserves course will appear among your students’ electronic reserves courses on their main menu screens.

ERes Migration Information University at Albany Libraries, SUNY Instructors who used ERes, the University Libraries’ previous electronic reserve system, will find all of their electronic reserve courses and items migrated into the new electronic reserves system. All of the ERes user IDs have been matched up with the appropriate University NetID. ERes folders have been converted to the new tag system that the new system uses. If instructors notice any problems or issues with their electronic reserve materials or courses, please contact reserve staff at or

Contact Reserve Staff University at Albany Libraries, SUNY If you have questions that were not covered by this tutorial, please contact reserve staff at or If you have suggestions for improving the new Electronic Reserve system, please contact Kabel Nathan Stanwicks at or