RELEASE: IMMEDIATE DATE: 7/19/02

CONTACT: EMILY SILVERMAN, (413) 545-0995

Library ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO RESERVES SERVICES

Amherst, Mass. – Reserve reading services of the Biological Sciences Library and the Physical Sciences and Engineering Library will move to the W.E.B. Du Bois Library this fall. The consolidation of the reserve services into one location will increase the hours in which these materials are available to users. Hours in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library are the longest of the three facilities, and reserve materials are available whenever the Library is open. The Library conducted a successful electronic reserves pilot test in 2001-02, and the use of electronic reserves will increase in the coming year. The combination of increased hours for traditional reserves and the expansion of electronic reserves will improve reserves service and access, despite Library staffing reductions.

Reserve materials typically include books, journal articles, audio-visual resources, and other class-related items made available for short-term loan. Electronic reserve materials, such as journal articles, book chapters, course syllabi, and assignments, are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in the world. Users may view and print or save their reserve readings for later use. Access to these materials is limited to authorized UMass Amherst users. A new scanning department in the Library will support the efficient digitization of both electronic reserves and document delivery materials.

To place materials on reserve (traditional and electronic), faculty are urged to use the online request forms (see http://www.library.umass.edu/reserve.html), and to submit electronic files where possible. Faculty members can continue to drop off printed and digital materials in person at all libraries as well.

No changes are anticipated in the Fine Arts Center Music Reserve Lab because of the specialized equipment needs in that facility.

Reserve reading lists are available in the online catalog (http://www.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/aka/babel.cgi?dokma=http://umlibr.library.umass.edu/), and can be searched by instructor name or course. Course reserves are located on Floor 3 of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. For more information, contact Charlene Pasternak at 545-2358 or see http://www.library.umass.edu/reserve.html. For more information about electronic reserves, contact Janet Hughes at 545-6875 or see http://ereserves.library.umass.edu/.