Uploading Electronic Items from the Web

Instructors can add reserves items to their courses through the web interface. Students of the course can then view the items when they are logged into the web interface. To add a reserve item, Instructors click on the Add Reserves Items link in the Instructor Course Tools Menu and complete the requested information on the Reserve Item form. As part of requesting an item, Instructors must state how the item should be supplied to the students of the course. One of those options, "I will upload a file", allows Instructors to upload image, text, word, excel, audio and video and other electronic file formats to the Ares server for students to access.

How It Works

Clicking on the Add Reserve Items option in the Instructor's Course Tools Menu brings you to a screen asking "What would you like to place on Reserves?" Click the icon designating the document type for the reserve item you would like to upload. The Reserve Item form opens. When asked "How will this item be supplied?" choose "I will up load a file." When you click the Submit Item button, you will be taken to a new form to upload your file. The following sections outline this process. Note that the File Upload and Free-Text document types assume that you will be uploading a file to the server and include the Upload link on the Reserve Item form.

Once a free-text item has been uploaded, it will be properly formatted on the Item Info page. As of Ares 5.0, any free-text items will now be saved using Markdown rather than HTML. 

Article, Chapter, Audio, and Video Files

1. When you elect to reserve an Article, Chapter, Audio or Video item, you complete the Reserve Item form for the item and, if you are supplying the item electronically, select the I will upload a file option.
2. When you click the Submit Item button you are taken to a file upload form.
3. Use the Browse button to navigate to and choose to the file you want to upload, and click the Submit Item button to complete the submission process.
4. From here you are taken to the Course Details page where you can see the newly added item in your Reserve Items list.

Submitting File Upload and Free-Text Electronic Files

1. When you elect to submit a File Upload or Free-Text file, Ares assumes you are uploading a file to electronic reserves.
2. You complete the Reserve Item form for the respective file type and upload your file to Ares on this same form.
3. Use the Browse button to navigate to and choose the file you want to upload, and click the Submit Item button to complete the submission process.
4. From here you are taken to the Course Details page where you can see the newly added item in your Reserve Items list.

Electronic Reserves Status

The image shows the Course Details page with a list of reserve items for the course. It contains an example of each type of electronic file submitted above. The image icon to the left of each Title denotes the type of electronic file upload. For example, the Audio upload, All Summer Long, shows a musical note icon indicating an electronic audio file, and the Chapter file shows a Word document icon indicating that the uploaded electronic file is a Word document.

Additionally, there are three potential status options for electronic reserves items:

• Item Available On Electronic Reserves. The item has been accepted by the Ares server and is viewable by the course Instructor and students.
• Awaiting Review by Staff. The item is being reviewed by Reserves Staff before being made available on electronic reserves. The option to review items is set in the DocumentTypes table in the Ares Customization Manager.
• Awaiting File Type Resolution. If the item is of a file extension that is not listed in the DocumentTypes table and is not known to the Ares system it will be placed in Awaiting File Type Resolution. Reserves Staff can accept the file type or cancel the request.