Instructional Resources Service
Instructional Resources Service (IRS) office is where you check out your textbooks. IRS provides print and digital textbooks, access codes, CDs, DVDs, and many other resources used for instruction in your courses.
Instructional Resources Funding
All of your instructional resources provided through IRS are funded with undergraduate and graduate rental fees, and money from the sale of used or withdrawn resources. UW-Stout students pay a rental feel included in their tuition based upon the number of credits taken.
Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA)
The HEOA requires sufficient information to allow students to acquire instructional resources from alternative sources. In order to comply with this federal requirement, new instructor textbook requests must be submitted before the following dates:
- Fall Resource Requests: March 15
- WinTerm Resource Requests: October 15
- Spring Resource Requests: October 15
- Summer Resource Requests: March 15
Sales
IRS does not sell textbooks that are currently in use. To purchase a textbook, most are available on Amazon. Resources that have been withdrawn are often available for students to pick up for free. The free textbook are located on a shelf just down the hall from IRS.
IRS Fines and Fees
If you have any textbook fines they need to be paid before you can check out any more resources. Fines can be paid at the Business office in the Administration building.
IRS History
The Instructional Resources Service office has always been a part of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, opening for the first time in 1891. It was the mission of the office to provide rented instructional materials to the students at relatively low cost. Now, over 120 years later, the mission of the office remains very much the same. We are always looking for the most efficient and cost effective ways to provide the materials UW-Stout students need to optimize their education.
The name and location of the office has changed many times in our history. We have held offices in buildings that no longer exist, such as Ray Hall which used to sit between what is now Millennium Hall and Bowman Hall. Ray Hall was destroyed in 1995. In 1997, IRS moved to its current location in room 201 of the Robert S. Swanson Library Learning Center. This move was overseen by IRS director Brenda Swannack. Brenda was the director for over 30 years, before retiring in 2011. The current director, Robert Butterfield took over the position in April 2011.