Desk Copies

You can get free desk copies of books from the publisher of the textbook. Go on the publisher's website and find the link that says "Order a desk copy." Books usually arrive within a week or two. You must enter a ".edu" email, and if you are a new adjunct, this can sometimes be an issue if you don't have your AU email yet. Please make sure you set up your AU email prior to ordering your desk copy. Often times there are free samples online as well to get you started.

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Assigning Textbooks and Other Materials to Your Course

All required and recommended course textbooks must be registered with the AU Bookstore. To submit your request, you can use the online adoption tool here or contact the bookstore via phone (202-885-6303). For first time users, the password for the store is ‘0412,’ our Follett store number. Returning users should use their established passwords. However, the bookstore is available to reset previous password information.

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What if I do not require any textbooks for my class?

Sign into the AU bookstore website described above and select "No materials required" for your course. 
This is only if all materials will be provided to students via blackboard or course reserves, and they do not need to purchase or rent materials for the class. It is a federal law that all students are able to calculate the exact cost of attendance for each semester. This includes any required materials for their classes beyond what tuition and fees cover.

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AU Bookstore is online only!

There are no physical books on campus. Students can acquire books online from the bookstore with 24 hours notice. During the add/drop period of the semester, students will not be able to obtain the textbook for the course if they add the class on the day the class meets. 

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Submitting Course Materials as a "Course Reserve" with the Library

It is beneficial to give students access to books or recommended readings you might not require the full text of through the AU Library Course Reserves. If you choose to do so, the library will buy the book if AU does not already own it, giving students free access to required texts. 

• Log in to your Canvas account using your university login credentials.

• Under "My Courses", select the course that you want to request items for.

• In your course, select "Course Reserves" from the left menu bar. This will open the course reserves module. If the Course Reserves button is not available, please contact Library Reserves staff at reserves@american.edu.

• You can now submit and manage your course reserve items.

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Library Books on Reserve

You can make full text books available to your students for limited loan periods through shelf-reserves. Reserves staff will pull books from the library stacks, and recall books which are currently checked out or rush purchase books which the library does not own. Books from other schools can not be put on reserve at AU.

• Log in to your Canvas account using your university login credentials.

• Under the Course Tools menu, click on "Request Book".

• Fill out as much information as you can about the book you would like to request. Choose a "3-hr" or "1-day" loan period. (If the book will constitute required reading for the entire class, we recommend a 3-hr loan period to allow all students time to access it.)

• To request book excerpts, Click on "Request Chapter" and provide as much information as possible. Due to copyright restrictions, we can only scan up to 10% or one chapter of a book (whichever is greater) for E-Reserves.

• You can also indicate if you will be bringing the books to the Course Reserves desk. (Please note: We will accept professor personal copies only for chapter scanning and for use as temporary reserve until a library copy is acquired.

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Electronic Holdings on Reserve

• If you would like to create links to items from the Library's electronic holdings (journal articles, e-books, etc.), click on "Request Article".

• For articles, provide as much information as possible. Reserves staff will locate the article and make it available either as a web link or as a pdf file.

• For items which are neither books nor articles, such as government documents or unpublished papers, click on "Request Other". Be sure to indicate how the item will be supplied and a web address if necessary.

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Cloning Previously Used Items

If you would like to clone items from previous semesters, go to the current or upcoming semester's Blackboard course page and click on the "Course Reserves" button. Select the "Import Items from Previous Semester" link in the left hand tool bar. Click on the "Import Items" link next to the course you would like the readings from. If you would like to clone items from one section to another in the same semester, please contact Course Reserves (see above).

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ACTION ITEM: Assign materials or declare "no material required" on the AU Bookstore website here. 

Submit course materials to course reserves if necessary.

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