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Faculty are invited to request items for the library collections. You may use the form below. You may also e-mail directly to your
department's librarian liaison or send information to the liaison by campus mail.
If you don't have all the information, just give us what you have, and we will look up the rest.
For more information...
Table of Contents
Order deadlines
The annual buying cycle ends February 1.
Any items requested after that date will not be ordered until the new budget year, beginning July 1.
Books for Course Reserves
Books that are needed for reserves should be ordered as early as possible, preferably during the preceding semester. Books for spring or summer reserves
must be ordered during Fall Semester. Turnaround time
There's really no way to predict how quickly we will receive a book once it’s ordered, but standard orders usually take several weeks to arrive; occasionally the time may be even longer. In a true emergency, the library can do a RUSH order for specific titles. RUSH orders typically arrive within a week and are processed immediately. Please inform your
librarian liaison if you have concerns about the ordering time for a particular item.
Notification
To find out if a title has arrived, search the
online catalog’s new books section or ask your
librarian liaison. If an item has been ordered on a RUSH basis, you will receive a notice from
Susan Wheatley in Access Services and the item will be held for you at the Circulation Desk or placed on Course Reserves for you.
Book information/reviews
Several online resources are available to help you make book
selections:
- Choice – peer reviews
of academic books. Search by title, author, date, and
subject. Searches can be limited to Choice’s Outstanding
Academic Titles.
- Books in
Print – the standard source for publication information
about current and forthcoming titles. Includes reviews and
synopses for many titles.
- WorldCat – an
database of books catalogued by thousands of libraries in
the United States and major libraries abroad. An excellent
source of information about out of print books. (link to
section that mentions out of print)
Commercial sources that may also be helpful include:
Selection
The library is working with faculty to write collection
development policies that define the nature and scope of
collections in every subject area. You have an ongoing
opportunity for input, review and editing the policy for your
department. For more information, please contact your
librarian liaison. Out-of-print titles
If a title you request is out of print, the library will try to order it through used book dealers. Delays are common, and there is no guarantee that the work can be obtained. With few exceptions, library funds cannot cover the purchase of rare or costly items.
Paperbacks
Library policy is to buy hardcover bindings whenever possible. Even though the initial cost is greater, hardbacks require less maintenance and last longer. If a work is available only in paperback, we will have it re-bound in hard cover, which adds at least six weeks to the processing time.
Non US orders
The library sometimes encounters delays and other problems when ordering materials from non-US sources. UK publications are an exception; the library usually has no difficulty obtaining these because they are available through US distributors.
Internet orders
Because of regulations governing pre-paid purchases, the library has very limited ability to order through websites such as
Amazon. Most buying must be done with purchase orders to library suppliers.
Pre-publication orders
For budgetary reasons the library does not make pre-publication orders. However, we will be glad to hold your request until the item is published.
Faculty collection
The library buys at least one copy of books authored by SU faculty and places it in the
archival Faculty Collection. A citation is also entered in the
Faculty Scholarship Database. In most instances,
a second copy will be ordered for the circulating or reference collection. Please let your
librarian liaison know of any publications (books, articles, recordings, etc.) that you have written or that include your work.
Videos, CDs
Your department’s annual allocation is intended primarily for book purchases. However, due to the growing importance of media in the instructional programs, departmental liaisons work with
librarian liaisons to determine what portion of the allocation may be used for non-book materials.
Periodicals/Journals
These requests are handled in a separate process. Please consult your librarian liaison for more information.
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