Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Coursepack, Lab Manual, Class/Lecture Notes or Course Reader?

Coursepacks, also referred to as manuals or course readers, comprise whatever a professor, lecturer, or teaching assistant wants to use as a ‘personalized’ educational aid in the classroom. By taking advantage of the coursepack program, an instructor can choose from a wide variety of materials and resources, tailoring them to the specific needs and demands of their particular course. Coursepacks come in a wide variety of formats. Included are collections of bound articles to supplement lectures and seminars, as course notes and/or lab manuals that may include in-class lectures, in-class syllabi, and unpublished books and/or articles, even out of print books that may no longer be available to the academic community.

When do I need to get my materials to you?

If possible, two weeks before you need to make your coursepack/custom textbook available. Yes, we can work faster, if needed, but generally we’ll need a week to clear all copyrights. Re-orders with no changes can usually be completed within 48 hours. CAUTION: You may find some coursepack providers who claim a 24-72 hour turnaround for copyright clearance. We urge you to be very, very careful about this. The fact is the closer you get to the beginning of a major term, the more that coursepack volume increases dramatically, and a 1-3 day turnaround on clearances can become simply impossible under these circumstances.

What material is Copyrighted?

Coursepacks generally contain excerpts from books, journals, and other original sources. Most of these excerpts are subject to the Copyright Act of 1976, which prohibits reproduction of any “original works of authorship” without permission of the owners. Reproduction of copyrighted material without prior permission of the copyright owner, particularly in an educational setting, is an issue of concern for the academic community. Unfortunately, the impropriety of much unauthorized copying is often overlooked by users in an educational setting.

Although copying all or part of a work without obtaining permission may appear to be an easy and convenient solution to an immediate problem, such unauthorized copying can frequently violate the rights of the author or publisher of the copyrighted work, and be directly contrary to the academic mission to teach respect for ideas and for the intellectual property that expresses those ideas.

Without understanding the copyright law, including elements such as the doctrine of “fair use” and its application and limitations in the educational setting, faculty members, copy centers, college stores, universities and colleges themselves, and others will be at risk for engaging in illegal copying.

How much does a coursepack cost my students?

The cost for the student averages around $25.00-$30.00 per coursepack. However the price does vary based on the number of pages, as well as, if there is copyrighted materials. A common practice to determine copyright costs is to add 10-15 cents per copyrighted page. Although that cost can/will vary and it is determined by the rights holder.

Where will my pack be sold?

There are a few options. We sell them online, right here at CoursePacksEtc.com, at your local campus bookstore or through department purchasing and distribution.

Does the instructor get a copy of the coursepack?

Yes! In fact, you get your coursepack for FREE as many copies as you would like.

How do I get my originals to you?

We will pay for you to ship us your originals (books or photocopies) or you can upload your files on the Getting Started link or email us your files. Upon completion, CoursePacks Etc. will ship you the originals along with your Free desk copy directly to your door.