4 ERes Requirements

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Four Requirements To Access The Electronic Reserves System, ERes

1. Internet Service

You will need a computer with Internet access, either on or off campus.

On Campus

  • There are numerous computer labs This is a link to another web site available to students on the various campuses.
  • If you have your own computer and live on the Kent campus you can connect through ResNet This is a link to another web site.
  • If you live off campus but bring your own computer to use on campus you'll need to register your computer's address This is a link to another web site.

Off Campus

  • For access from home, the best solution is a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as Road Runner or AOL.
  • Kent State faculty, students, and staff can get slow (28.8K) Web access through the University dialup service This is a link to another web site.

Contact the University's Information Services Help Desk at helpdesk@kent.edu for further information on all these options or visit the Help Desk web site This is a link to another web site. Please do not contact the library Circulation Desk about access problems as staff will not be able to assist you with your questions.

NOTE: If your ISP is AOL, please see the Web Browser section below.

2. Web Browser

Electronic Reserves (ERes) should work with recent versions of the major browsers (for general security reasons you should make an effort to keep your browsers updated). Major browsers for Windows and Mac include:

Internet Explorer This is a link to another web site*
Netscape This is a link to another web site*
Mozilla Suite This is a link to another web site or Firefox This is a link to another web site (standalone browser)
Opera This is a link to another web site
Safari This is a link to another web site (Mac only)

* If you need to call the Help Desk (330-672-HELP (4357) or helpdesk@kent.edu) about browser problems, they are best equipped to deal with these.

AOL USERS: We highly recommend not using the built in AOL browser. Just minimize it and start up one of the others.

3. Adobe Acrobat Reader

You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print any documents formatted as Portable Document Format (PDF) on the ERes system. If you do not have the Reader installed on your computer, you can download a free copy This is a link to another web site and install it. The following instructions were current when this page was last updated but may change over time.

  1. Follow the above link and make selections appropriate to your system

    STEP 1:
    For "Language" - select English
    For "Platform" - select the option for the type of computer you have such as Windows XP, MacOS 9.1-10.2.1, etc.
    For "Connection Speed" - select the type of connection you have

    STEP 2:
    Depending on your choices in step 1 you may have additonal options here, but they are not critical.

    Make note of any suggestions that appear and click the Continue button.

  2. Download the File

    Click the Download button and save the file to a convenient place on your computer (the Desktop is a good place) and make a note of the file name.

  3. Install the Software

    Find the file you downloaded on the Desktop (or wherever you saved it) and double-click it. Follow the instructions on the screen.

If you need any assistance with installing the Acrobat Reader, please contact the University's Information Services Help Desk at 330-672-HELP (4357), or by email at helpdesk@kent.edu. Please do not contact the library Circulation Desk as staff will not be able to assist you with your software installation questions.

4. Password

Course pages on the Electronic Reserves System, ERes, are password protected due to Copyright Guidelines. Each course has an assigned password for each semester.

A course password is one word, in lower case, and generally contains both letters and numbers (e.g. obtain03). If you type the password as two words, in upper and lower case, use a letter O instead of the number zero, or forget the number 3, then the password will not work.

1. Obtaining a Password

  • To obtain the current password, or if you forget the password, and are unable to contact your instructor, contact Reserve Services at 330-672-7906 Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm.
  • During evening or weekend hours, you may contact the Main Library's Circulation Desk at 330-672-7905. Staff will ask for student identification verification before giving the password to comply with Copyright Guidelines.

2. Blackboard Vista Users and Electronic Reserves Password

  • If accessing an Electronic Reserves course via Blackboard Vista, an Electronic Reserves course password is not required. However, a password is required to access the Blackboard Vista course. This password is available through the course instructor. Reserve Services do not have passwords for any Blackboard Vista courses.
  • For any Blackboard Vista problems (including Blackboard Vista passwords), please contact the course instructor or the Help Desk for assistance at 330-672-HELP (4357).

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