Electronic ReservesWhat is ERes?
The HCC Library's Electronic Reserves, or ERes, system is a convenient, online, way for your students to view assignments, readings, videos, answer keys, and other kinds of supplementary or required course materials. The ERes system is accessible from the Library's home page--24 hours a day, 7 days a week--via any Internet connection. Think of it as the electronic cousin of the traditional Reserves shelves behind our Check Out Desk. HCC students greatly appreciate the flexibility that ERes offers their busy schedules.
What can I put on ERes?
A much wider variety of materials than can be put on traditional reserves! Here's a list:
- Documents that you've created by hand, in Adobe Acrobat, or Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint;
- Scanned pages from books or periodicals;
- Links to articles from the following databases: ProQuest Nursing Journals, ProQuest Newspapers, ProQuest Criminal Justice Journals,
- InfoTrac, Literature Resource Center, Biography Resource Center, Business & Company Resource Center, Health Reference Center
- Academic, Heath & Wellness Resource Center, History Resource Center US and Modern World;
- Streamed video from VHS tapes;
- Streamed audio from cassettes or compact discs;
- Links to web pages.
In addition to your own materials, you may select any item from the Library's holdings. We will scan or stream the originals, whether your own or the Library's, into the appropriate formats for you.
What about copyright?
As with our traditional Reserves service, you must always comply with copyright regulations. An item may be posted immediately if: it is in the public domain; it was created by you; or your use of the item falls under fair use guidelines. We can help you to determine if copyright clearance is required, and if it is, a Library staff member will contact the publisher on your behalf to request clearance. Please be aware that this process often takes a month or longer.
How do my students access the materials?
From the main ERes page, students first search for their materials by course or instructor name. Once they have found your course page, they are prompted for a password. Course passwords will be distributed to you by the ERes Manager; you are then responsible for distributing them to your students. Also, please remind your students that ERes passwords are not the same as the passwords used to access the Library's databases from off-campus.
No special equipment, other than access to an Internet-connected personal computer, is necessary. However, depending upon the format(s) of the items you post, your students may be required to download a software plug-in if they are working from off-campus. These are free, and more information on downloading plug-ins is available on the Technical Stuff page.
Can I use ERes for my distance ed classes?
ERes is ideal for your distance learners. It can be used in conjunction with, but is not a substitute for, WebCT and/or your personal home page. Never post electronic copies of copyright-protected documents or information where they are accessible to the world at large; provide a hyperlink into ERes from a WebCT or instructor-created course web page to connect your students with copyright-protected course materials.
How do I get started?
If you have questions or would like to know more first, please contact Megan Gonzalez at 410-772-4635 or mgonzalez@howardcc.edu. If you're ready to go, just head for the ERes Forms page, where you'll be asked to complete and submit three online forms. Please allow 48 hours' notice for the posting of submitted items. Also, remember that it may take a month or more for Library staff to request copyright clearance, if it is required.
