FAQ -- Electronic Reserves   

• How do I access electronic course reserves?
• I found the electronic reserve list for my class, but when I clicked on the title I needed, nothing happened.
• I found the electronic reserve list, but did not find the item I need.
• Why do I need a library card and PIN to view some reserve items?
• I am having trouble downloading and/or printing articles from electronic reserves on my home computer.

How do I access electronic course reserves?

You can access electronic course reserves with any current web browser (Internet Explorer 6 or higher; Netscape 6.1 or higher) by going to the LOIS library catalog – http://lois.losrios.edu -- and clicking on the “Reserves” button. This service will not work with the America Online web browser. If you are using AOL, please open up Netscape or Internet Explorer to use this service.

You can search for electronic course reserves either by looking under the course title or by your instructor’s last name.

NOTE: You will need a library card and PIN number to view electronic course reserve documents. You can set up a PIN number through the LOIS library catalog -- http://lois.losrios.edu/patroninfo/ -- contact a reference librarian (558-2461) if you have any further questions.

I found the electronic reserve list for my class, but when I clicked on the title I needed, nothing happened.

Most documents on electronic course reserves are stored on the server in PDF format. This format requires that a helper application called Adobe Acrobat Reader be installed on your computer. A free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

I found the electronic reserve list, but did not find the item I need.

Your instructor may not have provided the library with a copy of the item. Also, even after the instructor gives the library a copy, it may take several days for the item to be processed and ready for access (especially at the beginning of the semester). Check back for the item in a day or two. If you still cannot find it, contact a reference librarian (558-2678).

Why do I need a library card and PIN to view some reserve items?

Some items placed on reserve are protected by U. S. Copyright law. In order to comply with the law, access to copyrighted materials must be restricted. The library must verify that only students enrolled in classes can access these reserve materials.

I am having trouble downloading and/or printing articles from electronic reserves on my home computer.

When you are downloading an Adobe Acrobat PDF file, please be patient, especially if you have a modem connection. The Acrobat Reader will not open up until the entire document is downloaded onto your computer. This may take some time during times of high Internet use.

When printing, use the printer icon on the Adobe Acrobat toolbar, not the one on your browser’s toolbar. Otherwise, you may get only a blank page!

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Last update 03/25/2008 Sue Chen chens@scc.losrios.edu