Textbooks and Class Materials

1. Ordering Textbooks

The University’s policy on textbook orders is designed to reduce their cost to students. Timely submission of books orders ensures that sufficient textbooks are available on time for students and facilitates the buyback and resale of used textbooks. University policy requires submission of all textbook orders for Summer and Fall classes by May 1 and for Winterterm and Spring classes by December 1. All textbook adoption information, including the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), must be submitted by these dates through the University Book Center. Click on “Faculty.” The site also contains a link to the Faculty Center Network, a one-stop resource providing detailed information on textbooks to help instructors in making adoption decisions. Once you have entered your textbook adoptions, they will be posted on Testudo to facilitate textbook acquisition. You may submit this information to other vendors but not in lieu of submitting it to the UBC website.

2. Self-Authored Materials

   All orders of self-authored instructional materials that entail financial gain for the instructor must be approved by the chair of the department offering the course. For more information, refer to the University's policy on the use of self-authored course materials.

3. Sale of Course Materials in the Classroom

   Sale of such materials is strongly discouraged unless the instructor is the sole source of the material or can provide the material at the lowest price. Even in that case, alternative modes of distribution should be encouraged, such as sale through the department’s business office or placing the materials on reserve at the campus library.

4. Reproduction of Copyrighted Material

   The photocopying of copyrighted material is subject to strict legal regulation, and failure to adhere to these laws may be punishable both civilly and criminally. The University neither condones nor encourages any actions that violate copyright law, whether or not University facilities are used. Generally, the photocopying of print materials without the consent of the copyright owner is an infringement of the owner’s rights. However, representatives of education and the publishing industry have formulated an agreement whereby certain types of copying are deemed “fair use” and do not require permission. The Guidelines for Classroom Copying defines “fair use.” For more information, contact the President's Legal Office, 405-4945. If permission to reproduce copyrighted material is required, it may be obtained by writing to the owner of the copyright, to the publisher, or by contacting the Copyright Clearance Center (278 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, www.copyright.com). Alternatively, many commercial copying services (such as Kinko’s) or the University Copy Services (www.dbs.umd.edu/copyright) (405-5500) will submit requests to the Copyright Clearance Center for you. Please make your request sufficiently in advance to allow for the time needed to obtain permission. Remember that there may be a fee for the permission.

5. Electronic Resources

Instructors may wish to use ELMS (Enterprise Learning Management System) to deliver class materials, record and compute grades, and communicate with students. ELMS uses Blackboard as its course management system, and it can be accessed at www.elms.umd.edu. Training in this class management tool is offered by the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

6. Reserve Lists

The Libraries is instituting a new method of processing course reserves integrated with OIT’s ELMS course management system. To find out more and to create a reserve list, go to www.lib.umd.edu/PUBSERV/RESERVE. The Faculty Tip Sheet should enable both registration in ELMS and, by clicking on the Course Reserves Administration link, construction of a reserve of a reserve list. Note that reserve materials should be submitted at least two weeks prior to when students will need them.

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