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COVID-19: Updates on library services and operations.

Course Readings: Information for Instructors

There are several ways that you can distribute course readings to your students:

Library Course Reserves 

The Library Course Reserves application manages your course reserves material. This tool creates a single list of all the course materials you have requested for your class through the Library’s Course Reserves and Syllabus Service, allowing students to access many of their readings directly online. This list can be made up of articles, books, web links, and media resources. Library staff will also ensure your course readings are made available to students while respecting Canadian copyright law and existing U of T licensing agreements and policies.

The Library Course Reserves list for your course can be accessed in two ways:

  1. Access in Quercus. Click on http://uoft.me/quercus-course-reserves and follow four simple steps to add the Library Course Reserves app within your course's side navigation bar.

  2. Direct link to share with your students.

  • Log into https://cr.library.utoronto.ca with your UTORID and select the course you want to view.

  • Select 'switch to student mode' 

  • Copy and paste the link you see in your browser window. This is a direct link to your course that you may circulate to students in any way you like: print syllabus, email, posting to a Learning Management Environment (i.e. Quercus or Pepper), etc. The link will work only for enrolled students and for a particular instance of a course.

How do I submit my reading list? Information on reading list submission and priority service dates.

Having trouble finding or accessing your online course readings through Quercus? See our help page.

If you need any further assistance with this tool, contact syllabus.service@library.utoronto.ca

Uploading to Quercus or other Learning Management Engines (LME)

You may choose to upload resources to a Learning Management Engine (i.e. Quercus) yourself; however, you must do this in compliance with Canadian copyright and any other applicable laws. Copyright compliance includes:

  • Use of library licensed material within its permitted uses;
  • Use of openly licensed material (i.e.: Creative Commons material)
  • Permission from the copyright owner to use material;
  • Use of material within one of the exceptions in the Copyright Act, such as Fair Dealing;
  • Cases where no permission is required, such as scanning a public domain work.

Refer to the Copyright Resources, which includes the University of Toronto’s Fair Dealing Guidelines and  Copyright FAQs, for further guidance.

Library staff can check your reading list for copyright compliance and investigate alternative options and negotiate copyright clearance for items that exceed our current licences or fair dealing guidelines, if available, at no cost to you.

How do I submit my reading list? Information on reading list submission  and priority service dates.

Questions? Contact syllabus.service@library.utoronto.ca 

For more information on uploading resources into learning management environment, please visit the Quercus Support Resources hub for information on building your course. 

Short Term Loan Books (Update, July 28th, 2020)

Update: The Course Reserves desk in the Media Commons is currently closed due to public health concerns, and is unlikely to reopen in advance of the Fall 2020 term. This means that instructors and students are currently unable to make use of books and other items located at this location. Library staff will do their best to locate and acquire electronic versions of needed texts that would typically be made available at this location if possible. Please read our statement on the challenges of replicating a print reserves collections in a digital form.

When our spaces reopen, to place physical copies of assigned course materials on reserve in the library, email syllabus.service@library.utoronto.ca and your item(s) will be directed to the appropriate library.

Please include the following details:

  • The course name and course code
  • Your name and contact information
  • Titles of books (including author, editor, or edition details)

If you are interested in inquiring about audiovisual material for teaching, please visit the Media Commons Book programs/screening rooms page for more information.

Course Packs

If you want to distribute a printed course pack of readings for your course, you have the following options:

Use the U of T Bookstore

The University continues to work closely with the University of Toronto Bookstore to provide course materials to students.

To produce a course pack, visit their 'How to build your course pack' webpage for guidance. You are encouraged to contact them for your course pack needs.

Use a Licensed Access Copyright copyshop  

This is a list of copyshops with a current Access Copyright License. It contains many options in the Toronto area that can support your course pack needs