For Faculty

Whenever possible, we recommend providing course reserve materials digitally through your Canvas course for the easiest experience for students. See Tips for Getting Electronic Course Materials below for advice. Physical library owned materials on Course Reserves are kept behind the library front desk, do not leave the library, and have a three hour borrowing time for students. Students can find books on reserve for your class using the library search box in this link, then visiting the library desk to request access.

To put physical items on Course Reserves we need the following information (you do not need to search the library catalog first to see if we own it):    

• Faculty name, department name, course number, course title, number of students   
• Title/author/call number (if you have it) of physical items you want on reserve    
• Please email flaxcirc@saic.edu with the information above and we will pull the items and put them on Course Reserves for your class.

To put electronic items (streaming video titles & ebooks) on Course Reserves, please follow the same directions listed above. Those items will appear on your course reserve page in the library catalog alongside any physical titles.

New titles: If you wish the library to purchase new titles for your Course Reserves please use this form and mark Yes to Put on library reserve?

Get advice from our How to Find Videos guide when searching for Flaxman films, DVDs, and streaming videos. Faculty must request Film/DVDs/Videos from our collections at least one week in advance. Titles not already in our collections may take longer to source. Rentals require a minimum of 3 weeks notice.

We are providing streaming access to materials as often as possible. Our guide to searching for streaming video provides instructions on how to search for streaming titles in our collections.

Please use the Film/Video/ Reservations Form to make a request or contact Carolyn Faber and Nathaniel Feis with questions.

• Film/Video Reservation Form
• Film/Video Reservations and Rental Instructions [PDF]

We have updated our Instruction Menu to accommodate all formats of in-person or virtual classes, including both synchronous and asynchronous options such as pre-recorded sessions or Canvas modules that can be added to your course. To sign up, please use our updated form, and a librarian will confirm your request and discuss next steps. We welcome questions to flaxman@saic.edu.

Please see the Library Special Collections Faculty Access page, to learn more about arranging Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection class visits.

Information Literacy in Instruction

"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."  -ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education 2015

Main Collections follows the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education as a guide for our library instruction program, and we encourage faculty to incorporate information literacy ideas into coursework. See our Information Literacy at SAIC Research Guide for tips and advice.
 

We offer several in-person and remote options to help students with their research or library questions. If students need help, please share with them that we offer:

Research Consultations

Offered in-person or virtually, this is a one-hour, one-on-one student meeting with a librarian to discuss their research and find opportunities to maximize library resources and services. Students can use Navigate to find the Flaxman Library and set up a Research Consultation appointment.

Studio Visits

Offered in-person or virtually, during this one-hour, one-on-one meeting we visit SAIC graduate student studios (or review their portfolio together online) to discuss their work and provide suggested resources or avenues of research tailored to their creative practice and needs. Students can use Navigate to find the Flaxman Library and set up a Studio Visit appointment.

Chat or Email 

Anyone can use the pink tab on the right of our homepage to chat live with a librarian on weekdays. Anytime you see “chat with us,” a librarian is on the other side and eager to help with any questions. When we’re not available via chat, we welcome emails to flaxman@saic.edu.

Interlibrary loan services are available to SAIC students enrolled in degree programs, SAIC faculty, and SAIC staff.

Request an item from I-Share

• Login to I-Share using your ARTIC username and password
• Usually takes 3-5 days; you will receive an email once it arrives
• See our How to Request I-Share Materials page for instructions  

Request an item not located in the Library Search or I-Share

• Fill out the interlibrary loan request form 
• Physical items usually take 1–2 weeks
• Digital items (PDFs of articles or book chapters) usually takes 2–5 days
• You will receive an email once it arrives
• See our How to Request Unavailable Resources Page for instructions 

You can use the methods below to find, upload and share links to course materials rather than use physical reserves.

Use Electronic Library Resources

The library has eBooks, eJournals, streaming videos, and full-text articles available through many databases. The easiest place to start is the library search box on our homepage. Please see our How to Find eResources page for instructions on maximizing the library search. You can also use our Where to Find Online Resources guide, Databases A-Z list, and Find Journals search.

Scan Physical Materials

You are welcome to scan physical materials in the Flaxman collection anytime we are open. It is good to review the Best Practices [PDF] recommended in the Faculty Guide for Online Teaching when preparing materials for your course.

Suggest New Library Material

You may continue to suggest the library purchase materials necessary for your class (digital or physical, text or audio/visual). Please let us know your suggestions by submitting this form or emailing Nathaniel Feis, Cataloging & Acquisitions Librarian, at nfeis@saic.edu.

Request PDFs through Interlibrary Loan

If you are unable to scan materials, you can fill out the Interlibrary Loan/Scanning Request Form to request PDF copies of articles or book chapters.

Getting Help with Access Problems

No matter what you are trying to access, the easiest way to get help is to contact us via email at flaxman@saic.edu. Library staff are checking this email account on weekdays and offer assistance quickly.

SAIC considers the course pages residing in its Canvas learning management system to be extensions of the classroom. SAIC faculty, staff, and students are expected to be informed and responsible when using protected materials in conjunction with course pages. In general, resource materials used within SAIC course pages will fall into one of the following categories: licensed resources; copyrighted material; freely available works by others; or your own work.

Licensed Resources

Licensed resources such as e-books, e-journals, image databases, and streaming videos, are subject to specific licensing agreements and copyrights. They are provided for educational use only, i.e. private study, scholarship, or research. Licensing terms can be complex and are subject to change. When using material from a licensed resource, the best practice is simply to post a link to the content in Canvas, rather than duplicating the content in Canvas. If you are adding materials available through library databases, we recommend following the instructions on our Linking to Library Resources & Databases guide. Please note: if your links are not working, please email flaxman@saic.edu and Flaxman librarians will help to resolve the issue. ​

Copyrighted Material

Fair Use: In the USA, original works of authorship are protected by copyright as soon as they are fixed in a tangible medium—whether the work is published or unpublished. The legal concept of fair use frequently allows artists, educators, students, and other researchers some leeway in the use of the copyrighted works of others. The College Art Association (CAA) and other professional organizations publish best practices for fair use in teaching situations, including course pages. See Additional Resources below for links to best practices documentation.

Permissions and Fees: When it is necessary to obtain permission to post copyrighted material to your course page, Flaxman Library staff can request the permission from the rights holder. Reasonable fees will be paid from the library budget. If permission is denied or the fee seems exorbitant, library staff will work with you to find alternatives to support teaching and research needs. If you would like the library to manage the permission/fee process for you, send complete citations for each resource to be posted to your course page to flaxcirc@saic.edu. Include your name, course department, course name and number, and the semester for which permission is needed. We require the following citation information to accurately identify works: article or chapter title & author; journal or book title & author; page numbers; publisher; publication date; volume & issue information for journals; ISBN or ISSN.

Additional Resources: For questions relating to copyright and posting licensed content, check out the following resources:

• Flaxman Library’s Copyright + Fair Use Research Guide
• College Art Association's Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts
• ARL Code of Best Practices in Fair Use

Freely Available Works

Creative Commons: Some creators use Creative Commons copyright licenses to make sharing permissions simple and clear, without having to contact the rights owner. If you see a “CC…” symbol on the work you wish to use, simply look up the terms on the Creative Commons website to see what is allowed.

Open Access: Open access (OA) publishing provides unrestricted access to and re-use of original works. You can explore our Where to Find Open Access Materials to discover these materials.

Public Domain: Creative works which are not protected by copyright or restricted by license are in the public domain and may be freely used by all. Boise State University has posted a chart describing When US Works Pass Into the Public Domain.

Your Own Material

As an author, designer, coder, or artist, you own the rights to your own work—unless and until you transfer rights to others. If you have signed a publication agreement or other contract, you may have given up some or all of your rights. The SPARC website is an excellent source of information on knowing and retaining your rights as an author.

SAIC Policies

• Acceptable Use of Network and Computing Resources
• Student Handbook [PDF]

If you have any questions, please email flaxman@saic.edu for help.

Please let us know what you think we should purchase for Flaxman Library collections. Simply fill out our Suggest a New Purchase form and click the submit button. Thank you in advance for your suggestion.

Please see Propose an Exhibition, Event or Artist Intervention on our Policies page.