Course Reserves

Items are placed on reserve to assure that all students in a class have access to required readings. Reserves can be physical items behind the circulation desk in the library, or electronic copies stored in TOPCAT.

You can find physical and electronic reserves in TOPCAT by professor (recommended) or by course number.

Finding Course Reserves

Course reserves are items (books, articles, movies) placed on reserve by instructors to provide course material to students. Reserves can be physical items that can be checked out at the circulation desk in the library, or electronic articles available online through our library catalog, TOPCAT.

The availability of physical and electronic reserves (e-reserves) is accessible in TOPCAT by the last name of the instructor (recommended) or by course number (ie~ CSU PL 204). Instructors determine the checkout period for each physical reserve item when they place material on reserve to one of the following time periods: four hour checkout (for use in the library only), overnight checkout, seven day checkout, or e-reserve (accessible online through the duration of the course).

Accessing Reserves

Library employees will be able to provide reserve materials that are available for checkout at the circulation desk near the entrance of the library. Please have the course name and number available at the circulation desk when requesting physical items for checkout.

E-Reserves are accessible through TOPCAT, where you can download a copy of the article in pdf format. The PDF format allows the patron to print or read the article on a computer. If not accessing the e-reserve from on campus, you will be prompted to provide your library barcode and PIN to log into your library account. The barcode is the fourteen digit number found at the bottom of the Stritch ID card and also in MyStritch under Personal Info. Each user will be prompted to create a PIN the first time they log into their library account in TOPCAT.