Frequently Asked Questions

Q:	What is ONCORES?
A:	ONCORES, short for Online Course Reserve system, was developed by the HSU Library as a means to deliver course reserve materials to HSU students via the world wide web.

Q:	What are the advantages of using ONCORES to serve reserve materials, as opposed to traditional print reserves?
A:	ONCORES provides the following advantages over print reserves: Accessibility - reserve materials are accessible over the web 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any location; Availability - reserve materials are always available, since they can never be checked out to another student or misplaced; Increased readership - offering reserve materials through ONCORES may be expected to increase readership, since the materials are more readily available; Convenience - reserve materials may be printed out or downloaded for personal off-line use.
Q:	Why should a faculty member use ONCORES when the same material could be linked from his or her personal web page?
A:	ONCORES offers several distinct advantages to both the faculty member and student: Library staff do virtually all of the work once the faculty member has identified an item for reserve. These services include retrieving a document from the Library collection (as available), scanning and converting it to either portable document format (PDF) or hypertext markup language (HTML), and creating the necessary record in the HSU Library Catalog; Library staff are available to provide logistical support, training, and consultation to both faculty and students, as needed to foster the effective use of the system; Using the HSU Library Catalog, ONCORES provides the student with a single easy-to-use interface through which to access electronic reserve materials; Library staff ensure that copyright-protected materials are afforded the safeguards stipulated in the United States Copyright Act, and that those materials are served in accordance with applicable University policy.
Q:	I understand that the HSU Moodle course management system can also provide password-protected links to course reserve readings. How does this differ from the services offered through ONCORES?
A:	ONCORES and Moodle both provide students with password-protected electronic access to reserve readings via the web, relying primarily upon PDF documents. The basic difference is that ONCORES is a standalone service, with readings searchable and accessible via the HSU Library Catalog. ONCORES is available for faculty members who may not wish to use Moodle, but still want to offer electronic access to his or her reserve readings. Upon faculty request, ONCORES personnel will also provide the campus Courseware Development Center staff with digital versions of reserve readings, which are then posted on Moodle. So, regardless of whether a faculty member uses ONCORES or Moodle to facilitate electronic access to reserve readings, the Library will likely play a substantial role in providing the requested content.

Q:	What sorts of materials can a faculty member place on reserve through ONCORES?
A:	Faculty may place both copyright-protected and non-copyrighted works on ONCORES. Access to copyright-protected works must be provided in compliance with the same Fair Use guidelines which the Library applies to print reserve materials, unless the faculty member has specifically obtained clearance from the copyright holder to serve the work electronically. Non-copyrighted materials which can be offered through ONCORES without restriction include course syllabi, lecture notes, reading lists, solution sets, examinations, etc. Hyperlinks can also be forged from ONCORES to copyright-free Internet sites, such as a faculty member's web page.

Q:	How do students and faculty access readings in ONCORES?
A:	Readings in ONCORES are accessed via a current generation web browser on any web-accessible personal computer, using the ONCORES/Reserves search feature in the HSU Library Catalog. Note that all users will be prompted for the ONCORES user name and password before they are allowed to access a reading. ONCORES staff provide this log-in information to the instructor, who, in turn, informs his or her students. To access ONCORES readings in Moodle, each student or instructor must use his or her personal campus log-in.

Q:	Which electronic formats are supported by ONCORES?
A:	Most ONCORES documents are served in text-accessible PDF format. However, we will on occasion convert a document to HTML format if the faculty member has a specific reason why that format would be preferable to PDF. Faculty interested in having their materials served in a format other than PDF should discuss the options with the ONCORES coordinator. Note that, in order to view readings in PDF format, client personal computers must have free Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on them.

Q:	Are ONCORES readings accessible to students with disabilities?
A:	Yes, at the request of the instructor, ONCORES staff will serve readings in a format that is "accessible" using screenreading or other adaptive software, to meet the needs of students with hearing, visual, or mobility impairments. When an instructor knows that they have a student in their class who is in need of such accommodation, they should specify that on their reserve request form, and the Library staff will take it from there. Additional information about campus policies, services, and facilities for disabled students is available from the Student Disability Resource Center.

Q:	What is the turnaround time for getting reserve materials into ONCORES?
A:	Library staff make reserve materials available as quickly as possible, but turnaround will vary depending upon the time of year and the number of requests in the queue. As with all reserve materials, faculty are advised to submit their requests as early as they can and to tell us when students will need them. This is especially important with ONCORES, since the scanning and conversion process can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. Faculty members can also help minimize turnaround time by providing the Library with the original source document, or, if the original is unavailable, the best possible copy, at the time the reserve request is submitted.

Q:	Why can't I access ONCORES articles by author or title?
A:	We are using the ONCORES/Reserves search feature of the HSU Library Catalog to facilitate access to reserve readings, including both ONCORES and print reserves. That module only allows reserve readings to be searched by instructor, department, and/or course name. Such limited access should not present a problem, however, since these readings are intended for the use of the students enrolled in a particular course.

Q:	How do I submit reserve materials for ONCORES?
A:	HSU faculty should complete an ONCORES Request Form and forward it either electronically, by campus mail, or in-person to the Library Reserve Office located in Library 110 (behind the Circulation Desk). Faculty are strongly encouraged to provide the original source material if available to help ensure that the online version of the document will be as high quality as possible. At faculty request, Library staff can also retrieve items from the Library collection for inclusion in ONCORES. Due to the additional work involved, however, such retrieval may add to the turnaround time for getting those materials online.

Q:	Where can I find more information about ONCORES?
A:	Further information can be found at About ONCORES, or by contacting ONCORES staff by e-mail, by telephone at 826-4401, or in-person in the Library Reserve Office in Library 110 (behind the Circulation Desk.