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Use case
Course reserves
Digital course reserves work best when requests, digitisation and access are clearly organised for both teaching staff and the library.
Digital course reserves support study and teaching by making required literature available for a specific course. Teaching staff request chapters, articles or other materials, which are then checked, digitised and made available to a defined group of users.
For this service to run reliably, many steps need to work together: requests, checks, digitisation, documentation, access, time limits and, where required, integration with learning platforms. Imageware helps libraries manage these workflows in a structured way.
A teaching service needs clear rules behind the scenes
Digital course reserves should be easy for teaching staff and students to use. Behind the scenes, however, many questions need to be answered: Who may request materials? Which course do they belong to? Which holdings or excerpts are eligible? How long should content remain available? And how will students access it?
Without end-to-end workflow management, manual workarounds can quickly arise. Missing details need to be requested, scans organised separately, status information maintained in several places or content made available outside the actual process.
It is also important that access fits the institution’s setup: for example through learning platforms, defined user groups, limited time periods or controlled delivery systems.
One workflow from request to controlled access
Imageware supports digital course reserves with a structured process for requests, checks, digitisation and access. Materials can be requested through forms, catalogue links or discovery systems, enriched with metadata and then processed in the right workflow.
mybib eDoc manages the workflow centrally. The system covers request intake, processing, status tracking, documentation and handover. Library staff can see which jobs are open, under review, being digitised, available or completed.
mybib eL provides controlled access to the digital content. The platform supports access scenarios based on user groups, time periods and institutional requirements. Teaching materials can be made available specifically for a course or defined group of users.
BCS-2 supports the scanning process when chapters, articles or extracts first need to be digitised. Scans are captured, processed, checked and then passed on to the next step in the workflow.
A typical workflow
Request materials
Teaching staff request chapters, articles or other materials through a form, catalogue link or connected system.
Check and complete details
Bibliographic data, shelf marks, course information, user group and availability period are checked and completed if necessary.
Create and manage the job
The request is managed as a job in mybib eDoc. Status, responsibilities and next steps remain traceable.
Digitise the source material
If the material is not yet available digitally, the required pages or chapters are scanned and processed with BCS-2.
Prepare access
Files, metadata and access information are prepared for delivery, the learning platform or controlled access.
Provide the materials
Materials are made available to the defined user group and for the defined period, for example through a learning platform or mybib eL.
Document completion
The job is completed, documented and processed or archived according to the institution’s rules.
Teaching materials are made reliably available for study and teaching
With Imageware, libraries can organise digital course reserves more reliably. Teaching staff get a clear request channel, library teams keep track of jobs and processing statuses, and students receive access to the materials they need in the right learning context.
This reduces manual coordination, supports consistent workflows and makes it easier to provide literature for study and teaching.
Especially relevant for university libraries
Digital course reserves support institutions that want to provide teaching materials from library holdings in a structured and controlled way.
Let’s talk about your digital course reserves.
Whether you are planning a new service, improving existing course reserves or connecting to learning platforms, we can help you clarify the requirements and shape a workflow that fits your holdings, courses and user groups.