Requesting a Book Purchase
The Library works in partnership with teaching departments in the selection of material. Each Faculty Librarian is allocated a specific group of subject areas and they will be happy to advise you on book selection for your subject area.
Please submit requests for purchase using the Library suggestion card. Cards are available from information desks, your Library Liaison Officer or from your Faculty Librarian.
It is helpful if suggestion cards are completed giving as much detail as possible - author, title, publisher, price, edition, number of copies, location, fund, and your name. If you provide your name, and the book is ordered, you will be emailed when it goes onto the Library shelves. If you would like to reserve a copy of the book, rather than just be alerted to its arrival, there is a box for you to tick on the suggestion card. There are separate suggestions card (coloured blue) for ordering electronic books, but bear in mind that not all books are available in electronic form.
Other forms of submission, e.g. email, may be acceptable to your Faculty Librarian.
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Guide to completing a Library Suggestion Card | [Acrobat (.pdf) - 39 kb - 14.05.2012] |
The suggestion card should then be countersigned by your relevant Library Liaison Officer and forwarded to the appropriate Faculty Librarian.
How long will it take for a book to arrive?
In order to provide our customers with an efficient service, we measure workflows regularly, and compare these to targets. Please use the information belowm to allow sufficient time when placing suggestions for purchase. Please note that orders may be prioritised by your Faculty Librarian. If what you want is urgent (or extremely urgent), then please contact them directly to expedite the purchase.
| Category | How long will it take? (average working days) | Our targets | Target - time to order | Target - supplier time | Target - from receipt to shelf |
| Express orders | |||||
| i.e. books needed on the library shelves immediately. This status must be assigned by your Faculty Librarian, as all discount is lost, and extra delivery charges apply. |
10 | 75% within 10 working days | Within a day (subject to number of requests received) |
Within a week (if available in the UK) | 1 day |
| Urgent orders | |||||
| i.e. books needed on the library shelves within 6 weeks | 30 | 55% within 30 working days | Within 5 days (subject to number of requests received) |
UK publishers - 20 working days US publishers - 30 working days |
5 working days |
| Normal orders | |||||
| i.e. books not required within a specific timeframe | 70 | 55% within 70 working days | Within 10 working days | UK publishers - 20 working days US publishers - 30 working days |
20 working days |
Queries - you should receive an acknowledgement within 24 hours
Help us to help you
Help us to get your library resources onto the shelves in time by submitting your orders as early as possible, bearing in mind that our busy times are the run up to the end of the financial year (July 31st) and the beginning of each semester.
'On approval' books
We buy our books at favourable rates of discount under the conditions of a cooperative purchasing contract, a contract which excludes our obtaining material 'on approval'.
