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Students will access a more intuitive and accessible Course Reserves system in Winter 2027. This new system enables seamless access to course materials and provides instructors with better ways to organize their course reading lists while taking advantage of interactive features like PDF annotation tools. Instructors can begin using the new system to build their Winter 2027 course reading lists on October 19, 2026.
Making the transition easy
To mitigate the impact on the University community, three years’ worth of course reserve lists have been migrated to the new system from the previous system, Ares. “This means instructors can simply copy and activate reading lists, removing the need to input lists from scratch,” said Heather Martin, manager, Course Material and Reserve Services.
Course Reserves integrated with CourseLink and Omni
Among its many features, the new system is fully integrated with CourseLink – making it easy and convenient to use for students and instructors alike. One of the biggest improvements to this new system is its seamless integration with Omni, the library’s catalogue. This enables instructors to easily add items to their Course Reserves reading lists by simply searching for what they want and clicking to add it to their reading list.
In the new system, reading lists can be organized by week, unit, topic, or whatever heading the instructor chooses. “Adding content to sections is simple. You simply drag and drop the items where you’d like them to go,” said Martin. “Items like notes and instructions may also be provide to students within the list, or direct to library staff to aid in the processing of requested course resources.”
A pilot group of instructors and their students have been testing out the new system throughout the Fall 2026 semester to ensure it's ready for a Winter 2027 launch.
Key dates
- August to December 2026: A pilot group of instructors and their students test the new system
- October 19, 2026: New Course Reserves system fully operational
- November 20, 2026: Deadline to submit materials needed for the first week of classes in Winter 2027
Supporting you along the way
You don’t need to navigate this change alone. Course Material & Reserve Services staff can support you with the transition to the new system. “While the platform is changing, our team remains dedicated to supporting the community in making sure course materials meet copyright and accessibility requirements, as well as acquiring necessary content, licenses, and permissions,” said Martin.
Library guides have been created to help members of the University community navigate this change:
Contact us. We’re here to help.
License
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