Ares Course Reserves

Hofstra University Library uses the Ares course reserve system, accessed via Canvas, to provide electronic reserve materials to students. By using Ares, faculty can manage all aspects of reserve content.

The first step is to connect your course to Ares via Canvas. Select the Course Reserves tool link on the left menu bar. This will connect your course to Ares. (Note for Mac users: Please switch from Safari to Chrome for optimal performance.)

This more detailed video will give you additional instructions on how to submit requests through Ares.

Finally, if you are uploading PDF files to Ares, please consider their accessibility status. Students with a print disability need accessible PDF files for screen reader technology. To learn more about accessible PDFs, visit this accessible course design website and watch the embedded how-to video.

We can create links in Ares to items from the Library's electronic holdings (journal articles, e-books, streaming videos, etc.).

Click on "Add Reserve Item" > Select "BOOK" or "ARTICLE". (If you are requesting something else, just use "Book" and Reserve Staff will figure it out.)

For articles, provide as much information as possible. Reserve Staff will locate the article and make it available either as a web link or as a pdf file.

To request book excerpts, Click on "Add Reserve Item" > Select "CHAPTER" and provide as much information as possible. You may type "Excerpts" instead of a chapter number or title, but please include the page numbers requested.

Reserve Staff will clear copyright for your requested material or notify you if an item exceeds an acceptable amount for electronic reserve. Copyright permissions can be complicated and sometimes expensive. Hofstra University subscribes to a number of licenses (including the Annual Academic License from Copyright Clearance Center) to provide us as much leeway as possible for placing materials on electronic reserve. Reserve Staff will make every attempt to provide requested materials to your students electronically. If this is not possible, we will work with you to place items on print reserve. Learn more about copyright at Hofstra University here, or contact Sarah McCleskey with specific questions.

Through Ares you can manage all your course reserve content.

To edit or delete an item, click on that item in your course list. On the item page, you can add or edit Tags you have assigned the item.

You will see a top menu bar with the following options: View this Item | Edit this Item | Delete this Item | Export Citation. If you no longer want to use this item for reserve, choose "Delete this Item."

If you accidentally delete an item, contact Course Reserves Staff and we can restore the item for you.

To re-use items from previous semesters, go to the current or upcoming semester's Canvas course page and click on the "Course Reserves" button. Select the desired semester and click "Submit."

You will need to do this for each section you are teaching. 

Once you connect your Canvas course page(s) to our system, Course Reserves staff will move your content over from previous semesters.

Item Tags: An instructor can "tag" any reserve item to identify weeks, topics, papers etc. For example, one article can be tagged "Week 1," "Napoleon," and "midterm" to help students sort materials. Instructors can add tags either while filling out their initial request or later on by clicking on an item from their item list. Instructors and students can also make their own personal tags on items which cannot be seen by anyone else.

Processing Status: Once you have submitted your reserve items, they will display in a list within your account. You can check the processing status of items in your list, making any changes as needed.

Email Alerts: You can also register for e-mail notices through the Library Course Reserves Management system. An e-mail will be sent to you whenever your course reserves are updated by you, your TA, or Course Reserve staff. Your students can also sign up for this feature so they can learn when reserve items are available.

Student View: If you would like to review how students will see your course reserves list, select "Switch to Student Mode" in the Ares Course Reserves menu. Please note that students will only see course reserve items that are available.

Reserve Item Usage: The "Reserve Item Usage" option allows you to view the number of times reserve items are accessed. By selecting "Show Detailed Usage," you can see what day each item was accessed.