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Course Reserves

Course reserves are compilations of recommended literature and documents to accompany courses that lecturers provide for their students. These can be set up digitally in Moodle or physically in a departmental library per semester.

Using Course Reserves

Lecturers can create course reserves for their students. These include recommended literature and materials tailored to selected courses. Once course reserves have been set up, students can access them either in the branch libraries or via Moodle.

  • Physical course reserves are available in our branch libraries on dedicated shelves – simply ask at the circulation desk. Materials from course reserves cannot be borrowed. However, all branch libraries offer the option to scan short sections of the works free of charge.
  • Digital course reserves can be found in Moodle, the TUM learning platform, directly within the Moodle course for the respective class. This allows you to conveniently access the materials recommended by your lecturers anytime, anywhere.

Setting up Physical Course Reserves

Lecturers and teaching staff at TUM have the option to set up course reserves at the branch library of their choice. The course reserve is available to all course participants for studying in the library and for scanning. You can place the following items from the library holdings on reserve:

  • Books (one copy per edition will be provided)
  • Single book chapters
  • Articles from books
  • Articles from journals or conference proceedings

As well as:

  • Your own personal books and other relevant materials – Please note our information on the Copyright Law.

Instructions for Setting Up a Physical Course Reserve

If you would like to request or update a physical course reserve, please send us all the necessary information related to your planned course reserve.

  1. Compile a title list: You may do this by completing the University Library’s Excel template, by submitting an export file from a reference management program (e.g. Citavi, EndNote, or Zotero), or by using an export file from a saved list in the TUM OPAC.

    Alternatively, you may select the materials for your course reserve yourself in the branch library and hand them in at the circulation desk. In this case, please still complete the title list template and leave the corresponding rows blank in the form.

  2. Email title list:

Setting Up Course Reserve 

We will compile the items from the branch library of your choice on specially marked shelves and book them in the library system under special course reserve accounts. You will then receive a confirmation email from us with the access data for your course reserve in the TUM OPAC.

Please note:

  • If required books are on loan at this time, we will recall them from the borrower at the end of the loan period and transfer the items to your course reserve.
  • Books requested via interlibrary loan cannot be placed on reserve.
  • Items not held in the library collections are also provided with a library security tag. However, the library assumes no liability for these items. The same applies to folders and other materials.
  • Items placed on reserve are generally not available for either long or short-term loan.
  • If you wish to add or remove materials during the semester, please complete the title list again and email it to us.
  • At the end date you have specified, items will be removed from the reserve collection, and the course reserve will be closed.

Setting up Digital Course Reserves

As a lecturer, you can add a digital course reserve (DigiSem) to any Moodle course. The following literature from the University Library’s print holdings can be included in this digital course reserve:

  • 15% from books 
  • Articles from specialist periodicals or scientific journals

Instructions for Setting Up a Digital Course Reserve
  • In Moodle under “Work Materials”, select "Digital Course Reserve".
  • Search in the TUM OPAC and, with a single mouse click, import the order details for the desired literature into Moodle.
  • During the ordering process, you can add the chapter or article titles and page details.
  • Moodle sends a digitization request to the library. The library will scan your selected literature, and the generated file will be uploaded to your Moodle course.
  • Please observe the copyright conditions.

Please note:

You can provide e-books and articles offered by the library electronically directly in Moodle as course material using "Link / URL" and are therefore not part of a digital course reserve. Please keep in mind that students often access these materials off-campus. We therefore recommend observing the following when adding links in Moodle:

Support

Tutorial for digital course reserves: TUM Moodle DigiSem: Der digitale Semesterapparat

If you have any questions about using or setting up course reserves, please contact us:
information@ub.tum.de