The Salt Lake Community College Libraries’ Course Reserves Service allows instructors to set aside physical books, films, sound recordings or journal articles in the library for student use. Electronic reserves, or eReserves, refers to electronically accessible course readings or materials. Starting in 2025, the Library will discontinue its eReserve platform and support using Canvas for these materials. This approach assists with copyright compliance while providing students with legal access to content.

Faculty and staff must follow the College’s “Reproduction and Use of Copyrighted Materials” policy when sharing content.

The Library encourages and supports the sharing of eReserves through the following methods:

Linking to Library Resources in Canvas

Faculty can directly link to electronically held Library content within their Canvas courses. This includes articles, streaming videos, and ebooks, as well as other media. Most Library content includes permalinks, which you should use for this purpose. Students can then access this content under the terms of use negotiated with the vendor. Some databases, such as Films on Demand, include embed codes. In these cases, faculty may directly embed the content in a Canvas page.

For assistance locating electronic Library resources or troubleshooting permalinks, please contact your liaison librarian. 

Sharing Content Covered by the Annual Copyright License for Higher Education

Salt Lake Community College holds an Annual Copyright License for Higher Education from the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC). Text-based materials, both print and electronic, covered by this license may be shared on Canvas with students. Faculty should search for each desired reading in CCC’s RightFind Academic tool to find the terms for how you may use it. The Annual Copyright License should not be used to replace the need for a subscription or purchasing a particular item. 

For questions about the CCC or assistance verifying coverage, please contact the copyright librarian or visit the Library’s Copyright: Permissions and Licenses guide.

Using Content under Copyright's "Fair Use" Exemption

Fair use is a legal exemption to the exclusive rights of copyright holders (17 U.S.C. §107). It is determined on a case-by-case basis and is based on a consideration of four factors: the purpose and character of your use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion taken, and the effect of the use on the potential market.

Fair use interpretations are nuanced. To learn more about making a fair use consideration for material you wish to share in Canvas, please visit the Copyright: Fair Use guide or contact the copyright librarian. Please note that Library staff cannot make fair use judgements on your behalf.

Getting Copyright Clearance to Share Content

For materials not already licensed or covered by fair use, you may seek permission to share them. Learn more about asking for permission or licensing materials on the Library’s Copyright: Permissions and Licenses guide.