New Faculty Orientation: Access Course Readings & Media

OneSearch is Western Libraries' central discovery tool. You can use OneSearch to locate books, videos, and articles in a variety of formats.

• Use the Advanced Search feature to expand your search scope beyond Western Libraries, specify material type, and set date limiters.
• You can request items be delivered to your departmental mailbox or held at the circulation services desk.
• Your Western Card is your library card. Bring it with you to check out books or pick up holds.
• To check the status of your requests or renew items, log into your library account.

Locate a journal:

• Use the Journal A-Z List to search for scholarly journals by title or browse by subject

Subject-specific databases:

• Use the Databases A-Z list to locate subject-specific databases.
• Use the FindIt! button to locate articles in full-text or generate an Interlibrary Loan request.

Request a new subscription:

• Use this form to request a new journal or database subscription.
• Requests received by the end of fall quarter will be incorporated into the annual subscription review.
• New subscription additions will be announced at the end of spring quarter.

Course reserves are items (books, DVDs, chapter scans, journal articles, ebooks and streaming media) that are needed to support instruction and coursework for specific classes at Western. Course reserves lists are added to Canvas by library staff, and periodically monitored for access or technical problems.

How do I submit a Course Reserves Request?

• Use the Course Reserves Request Form
• Call (360) 650-7593
• Email Course Reserves

How soon should I submit my Course Reserves list and how long will it take to complete?

• While you may reserve material at any time, the sooner we receive your request list the better. In general, lists are processed in the order received.
• Requests for newly-scanned materials may take up to seven days to complete. Obtaining permissions or licenses for copyrighted content may also add to processing time.
• Requests for scanned selections from new items may result in additional processing time. Items not currently owned by the library that need to be purchased can take two or more weeks to arrive and be processed.

How do Course Reserves work with Canvas, and what if I don't use Canvas?

• When an instructor submits a Course Reserves Request, a library materials list is created and added to the Canvas page. This can happen even if the instructor is not using Canvas for the course. The list includes direct links to all electronic reserve items and call numbers of physical reserves.
• If the instructor is teaching multiple sections of the same course, each section will have a separate page in Canvas (unless cross-listed by the instructor), each of which will have a "Library Resources" navigation tab added.
• The "Library Resources" tab on the Canvas page navigation menu must be enabled for students to access the reserves list; this is the ONLY way students can access electronic items. Course reserves staff have limited admin access to Canvas course pages, and if requested, can "publish" the course on your behalf.

For more information on Course Reserves, visit the Course Reserves for Instructors page.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows WWU faculty, students, and staff to borrow items from other libraries through a system called ILLiad.

What can't be borrowed?

• "Textbooks" cannot be requested.   
• Some items are difficult to obtain, such as reference materials, standardized tests and testing manuals, books published in the last six months or before 1880, unpublished conference papers.

How long does it take to get an item?

• Articles requested can often be delivered within hours.
• Other materials usually arrive within two weeks. 
• You will receive an email when your materials are ready.

Request new books and DVDs:

• Use ILLiad to submit purchase requests for books and DVDs.

Support equitable access to course readings:

• Ebooks can allow an unlimited number of students to access a text simultaneously.
  • They are also compatible with adaptive technologies, such as screenreaders, making content more accessible.
  • Use the "Format" option in the purchase request form (above) to request an ebook.
  • OR consult with your subject team for assistance finding relevant ebooks.
• Open Educational Resources (OERs) are free, online materials that permit re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others.
  • Incorporating OERs into your class reduces textbook costs for students.
  • Creating and adapting OERs makes content accessible beyond WWU.
  • For more information on finding OER, connect with your subject team librarians
  • OR connect with the Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment about creating and adapting OER

Request streaming media:

• Use this web-form to submit a request new streaming digital media.
• For more information on incorporating streaming media in your course, see this guide.