Copyright and Course Reserves: Legal Issues and Best Practices for Academic Libraries, by Carla S. Myers

Abstract

The role of course reserves within academic libraries is an area that invites both doubt and confidence, given the pressing issues of rising textbook costs, user access, and copyright compliance. Print reserves often face sustainability issues with escalating textbook costs and limited space (Barclay, 2015), while electronic "e-reserves" are also mired in lawsuits over copyright breaches. However, as rising textbook costs continue to impact faculty and students, libraries that can host physical course reserve collections are seeing these copies circulating wildly which seemingly demonstrates their continued value as an important service (Nichols, 2019). Recent studies underline the increasing importance of physical and electronic course reserves for students who, faced with rising tuition and living costs, need high-quality educational materials that they cannot afford (Foster et al., 2023). Academic work on copyright and course reserves remains pertinent amidst these evolving challenges in academic library services. Carla S. Myers' Copyright and Course Reserves: Legal Issues and Best Practices forAcademic Libraries is a significant resource for library professionals looking to optimize their course reserve services. Myers provides a thorough guide on establishing or expanding course reserve services, adhering to American copyright laws, and achieving institutional goals with minimal legal risks. The first section details how to create a course reserve service, with functional, adaptable recommendations (xv). Myers' practical and systematic style shines in a case study on physical reserve labels. They explain key label information and their importance in enforcing library policies (30). For instance, a clear label helps staff handle patron protests over overdue fines incurred from improper returns (30-31). Myers' monograph, with its focused content canadian journal of academic librarianship revue canadienne de bibliothéconomie universitaire