This webpage is part of a series about copyright and course materials. The other three webpages in the series cover:
- providing course materials in the classroom;
- providing course materials on a password-protected course website or learning management system;
- providing course materials through the University Library.
There is also an instructor frequently asked questions webpage with some additional information about providing course materials.
Course packages ("course packs")
A course package is a compilation of materials that is provided to students through Retail Services. It can include various types of materials, such as journal articles, excerpts from books or the instructor's own work.
Faculty and instructors are responsible for acquiring and compiling the resources that are to be included in their course package, but the University Library may be able to provide assistance. Please contact the Copyright Office for more details. Staff at Retail Services are responsible for making the course package available to students, and the Copyright Office will make every effort to acquire any copyright permissions or licences that are needed. We cannot guarantee that a copyright owner will provide permission or a licence, and it can take six to eight weeks to receive a response from a copyright owner. The cost of course packages can vary depending on copyright fees, the number of pages and documents and the volume of course packages being produced. Those costs are generally reflected in the selling price of the course package.
Obtaining clearances from copyright owners can take a long time, so please submit your requests early so that your course packages will be available in time.
Any materials that can be handed out in hardcopy in class without copyright permission (for example, materials covered under the University’s Fair Dealing Guidelines, materials covered under the Copyright Act’s “internet exception”) can be included in course pack without permission.
For important deadlines and more information on how to create a course pack, please visit the Textbook Requisitions PAWS channel. For assistance, please contact textbooks_bookstore@usask.ca.
Textbooks
To adopt a required textbook for your class, please visit the Textbook Requisitions PAWS channel for more information.
Publishers often include supplementary materials, such as digital teaching resources, with the instructor’s version of a required textbook. In most cases, the textbook publishers may allow you to include copies of text, figures, images, charts, etc., in your lecture slides and other course materials, but only if the textbook is a required text for the course. Please review the copyright notice provided with the materials or talk to your publisher representative to determine conditions and terms of use that may be attached to your use of the work. For your records, please keep a copy of any permissions that you receive.
Getting help
If you have any questions or concerns about copyright, please let us know!
Copyright Coordinator
122.13 Murray Library