Mary and Jeff Bell Library

Electronic Reserves for Students

What are electronic reserves? Electronic reserves are items, such as papers, articles, powerpoint slides, etc, that are made available electronically through the library’s online catalog by a professor for their course.

What do I need to use electronic reserves? All you need is a working computer, an Internet connection, and a web browser like Netscape or Internet Explorer. Please note that you cannot use the AOL-provided browser to access electronic reserves. If you do not have Netscape or Internet Explorer, you can download them free from the following web sites:
Internet Explorer: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp
Netscape: http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp

How do I get to the professor’s electronic reserves?

1. Go to the library’s homepage: Portal.tamucc.edu
2. Click on &quotFind Books & More"
3. Click on "Course Reserves"
4. Click on either "Course #" or "Instructor".
5. If you selected "Course #", enter the course name and number (example: BIOL 1401). If you selected "Instructor" enter your instructor’s last name. (example: Rhoades)
6. Click on the article set link.
7. Click on the article you need, identified by title.
8. Enter either your first or last name, social security number (with dashes)and password provided by your instructor in the specified fields. To find out how your name appears in our system, go to http://portal.tamucc.edu/patroninfo

Do I need to pay to view the files? No.

Common Problems and Solutions for Electronic Reserves

Problem: I’m getting a blank print out.
Solution: Use the printer icon on the Adobe toolbar located near the top of the Internet browser.

Problem: My print out is backwards.
Solution: Click on the printer icon on the Adobe toolbar. Make sure the "Print as image" box is selected. It is located in the top right hand corner.

Problem: I am using AOL and I cannot view the electronic reserves.
Solution: The AOL-provided browser is incompatable with course reserves and will not display them. If you do not have Netscape or Internet Explorer, you can download them free from the following web sites:

Internet Explorer: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp
Netscape: http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp

Problem: When I click on a file, it says I need a program or something to view electronic reserves?
Solution: You need to download Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Here is a link: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Problem: I’m having problems logging in to electronic reserves using my name and social security number. It says, "Sorry, cannot locate patron record."
Solution: Contact the Circulation Desk at (361) 825-2340 and ask them to verify that you are in the patron database and that your name and social security number are correct.

Alternativley, you may check your patron information yourself by visiting the library’s web site (http://portal.tamucc.edu) and selecting "MY Library Account".

We invite questions and/or comments and look forward to hearing from you. Contact Robert Rios at Robert.Rios@mail.tamucc.edu.

• Circulation
• Circulation Staff
• Circulation Hours

Webpage revised on 10/28/2011