General Requests
To request resources not currently available in the library, we recommend the following:
- Periodicals (magazines, newspapers, journals) and databases: Due to the financial commitments of databases, journal and database purchase requests should be discussed with your department chair or dean as library funds are highly restricted. Once approved, email your request to the Senior Librarian and he will review the budget implications and library needs to ensure the feasibility. Long-term costs of maintenance agreements and subscriptions will also be quite important.
- Subscription costs for serials and electronic resources have been increasing at higher rates than for other resources, and therefore, requests for new titles must be considered carefully, as these resources could consume a disproportionately higher share of the ongoing collections budget if not monitored and variety of factors must be weighed and prioritized. Licensing restrictions might prohibit the library from being allowed to make the purchase. Some requests could be returned to the requester for negotiation.
- Please note that our CloudSearch service includes over 57 million Open Access articles, the vast majority of which are peer-reviewed. CloudSearch is an Open Access aggregator that brings articles together from hundreds of websites and combines them with our subscription databases. Last year, over 54% of all articles published were Open Access. Database needs are quickly fading with the rise of Open Access and services like CloudSearch.
- Book requests: Due to the current spending limits, the book budget is also highly restricted. Priority for new book requests will be given to History, Literature, Religion/Philosophy, and Nursing as many of their students use books and ebooks. Requests would be worked through these liaisons (contact the Senior Librarian for more details). Send book requests to the including the title, author, ISBN, edition, publisher, website (or source), and cost. When funding allows, we will try to purchase the item digitally, if possible. unless it is unavailable or the price is exorbitant. We encourage faculty to use discretion when making a purchase request in that some titles are better as interlibrary loan (ILL) requests than purchases for personal research (Interlibrary - Book Request form). ILL requests are often faster than shipping.
- Audio/Visual: The Library can consider exploring streaming options, if available. Please discuss your needs with your department chair or dean. As with #1 above, the request will be evaluated.
- The best time to order is in June or July or December.
- Out-of-print books: The library will attempt to purchase even out-of-print titles, if necessary, as long as the price and condition are reasonable.
