The library provides a number of services created specifically with faculty needs in mind. Use the links below to learn more about these resources, and be sure to reach out to your library liaison if you have any needs or concerns that aren't addressed here.

Copyright information for faculty

Faculty are required to comply with the Fair Use guidelines and the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).

How the library can help

The librarians can help you determine if you need to request copyright permission for something you wish to use in class, and can assist you with obtaining permission to use copyrighted materials when needed. To obtain copyright permission, go to the Library's Electronic Reserves page and follow the attached instructions to obtain copyright clearance for items that you wish to use in your class. You are also encouraged to contact your library liaison or the university Intellectual Property Coordinator, Beth Clausen, Dean, Library and Information Services, with questions that you have about copyright.

e-Reserves steps for copyright permission

1. Enter your name and Metropolitan State University email
2. Enter Course info (for example: ERES 100)
3. If course already exists, select from drop down menu
4. If this is a new course, you will need to enter info including instructor information and password to be used. This is the password your students will use to access the course page.
5. Attach the file or add the link to the database the item is located in. If item has been used before, put a note in the additional info/instruction. Do not enter a password here. Visibility is automatically set to the semester.
6. Select the type of item you are adding (article, chapter, etc.)
7. Attach the file or add the link to the database the item is located in. If item has been used before, put a note in the additional info/instruction. Do not enter a password here.
8. Visibility is automatically set to the semester.

Please note that you generally do not need to request copyright permission for library database articles if you create a static link to them, nor do you need to request permission for items in the public domain, are under a Creative Commons license, or that fall under academic fair use guidelines.

More resources

Minnesota State has developed an intellectual property website to guide faculty on issues related to intellectual property and copyright. The University of Minnesota has an informative Copyright website, with a useful Copyright Decision Map tool. The librarians at Metropolitan State University have developed this guide to copyright, the public domain and Creative Commons.

Liaisons

A faculty librarian is assigned to serve as a liaison to each of the disciplines at Metropolitan State University. We invite faculty members to contact their departmental liaisons with any library questions. Librarians will seek to meet with department faculty at least annually to discuss the current state of library services, what materials need to be acquired, and how we can improve our services to faculty and students.

Contact Information

Plagiarism

Librarians offer advice and consultation on handling plagiarism issues. Metropolitan State also subscribe to Turnitin, a software program that helps faculty to identify plagiarism. Please read this article to learn more about Turnitin and this article about how to use it in a D2L course site.
 

Reserves

Physical reserves

Physical reserves are items held in the library for students to use within the building. Supplemental or required articles, books, book chapters, videos, and more can be kept at our library circulation desk for your students to use in the library throughout the semester. You may also choose to put articles and book chapters on e-Reserves, which would make them available online. Please use this request form.

Electronic reserves

Electronic reserves at Metropolitan State allow materials to be accessed online by students if you do not use another online site like D2L. You can put articles and book chapters online for your students to access, use this guide to access instructions and forms. Your students can be directed to the e-Reserves portal linked to on our website homepage, where they will enter the course password you have provided to them. To set up an account, contact our e-Reserves staff.

Streaming videos and classroom video showings

The library subscribes to streaming film services that contain thousands of academic films and videos that can be watched online or embedded into D2L/Brightspace course sites. 

For information on using streaming video resources in courses, see our handout on Streaming Video Options for Online Courses.

To learn more about searching for streaming content, and how to embed or link to it, see our Streaming Video Databases Guide.

To book a DVD to show in class on a certain date, use the video booking form.