Purchase Request FAQ | University of Alaska Southeast

1. How do I request the Egan Library acquire a book, journal, DVD, etc.?

Check the online library catalog (CCLIC - Capital City Libraries Information Center) to ensure the title is neither in the UAS collection nor held elsewhere in Juneau.

Fill out the online Purchase Request Form.

If you already have a publisher's notice, flyer, copy of a review, etcetera, you may instead highlight your selection(s), affix your name and phone number / e-mail address, and forward it via Intercampus Mail to Egan Library, Acquisitions. You may also e-mail your request directly to the Acquisitions Librarian.

If the source is a sales catalog, please forward the original as they often contain special instructions or restrictions; we will return the catalog if requested.

2. How can I tell if a book I want to order is already in the CCL Collection?

Check the Library Catalog. Checking the CCL online catalog, under a ‘Title’ or 'ISBN' search is your best bet. Do not limit your search to the UAS Egan Library only, since our policy is not to duplicate books already held by other CCL member libraries; if you feel a copy should also be in the Egan Library collection, please state your reason(s) in the explanations section of your request.

3. How much information do I need to supply on the purchase request form?

The more complete the information provided the better (i.e. author, title, publisher, publication date); definitely do include the ISBN and/or other unique identifying code number(s) if available. We can usually locate the material you request, and please note that the acquisitions staff will contact you for additional information if the provided description does not identify the requested item sufficiently.

4. A colleague recommended a book I would like to order for the library, but the title escapes me. Can you still get it for me?

Any information you can supply (description of content or subject, possible title or author, etc.) will give us a point from which to begin. You need not delay submitting a request because you don't have complete ordering information. We will try to find the complete and correct information. If we cannot, we will get back to you.

5. How long will it take to get the book(s) I've requested?

It is difficult to predict how long it will take to get an individual book: one particular rush title may arrive in a week or two; another may take six months. The major academic book suppliers with whom we work can be slow: It may take three to four months to receive a title once ordered, and that is without any particular problems that might understandably cause delay. Be assured that we verify and place orders as quickly as possible. Please also note that once we have received a book, it generally takes a week for it to be cataloged, labeled, and subsequently made ready for check-out.

6. I've been waiting three months for a book I requested. My colleague ordered this book directly from the publisher and received it in three weeks. How can you be so slow?

If we had to deal directly with each publisher of each book we order, we would soon be buried under mounds of invoices and correspondence. To streamline this process we, as most libraries do, work with book suppliers who take on the unenviable job of contacting a multitude of publishers to obtain our requests. If they are temporarily out-of-stock or have difficulties obtaining a title, this will delay our receipt of that item. We may also contact a publisher directly, place orders with Amazon, and work with used/out-of-print book dealers, but even then, the length of time it takes to get a book varies significantly for similar reasons.

7. What about ordering books for Reserve?

Books to be placed directly on Reserve for use by students in specific courses are ordered on a "RUSH" basis. To expedite this process, each order should include the specific term, course number, and the word "RESERVE" on the online Purchase Request Form . Again, please bear with us if we can't always get the book for you in a week or two.

8. The class I’m teaching started yesterday, and I need this title right away. Do you provide rush service?

We are happy to initiate RUSH service for those who need the material urgently. You can help us by noting the word "RUSH" boldly on your request, or e-mailing the Acquisitions Librarian directly. Please note that no matter how quickly we expedite your request, we have no assurance that it will be received as quickly as we (and you) would hope. We will make follow-up inquiries on RUSH orders, but some publishers fail to handle RUSH orders any differently than any other order. The best way to ensure that you have titles available when you absolutely need them is to provide us sufficient lead time to compensate for unforeseeable delays.

9. How will I know when the book I ordered has arrived?

When the book has arrived and is ready to be checked out, you will receive a call from the Circulation Desk. The book will then be held there for you. You may also check the New Books shelf regularly for other new titles.

10. Do you send out a list of all newly cataloged books?

We do not, since new books are listed on the online catalog within one week of receipt. However, you may see records for recently acquired titles in the Egan Library by accessing the Library Catalog and clicking on the New Books! link.

11. Why doesn't the library have these titles in its collection? They are the most basic works in my field. I'm shocked that they are not here.

The bulk of our collection reflects the needs of past UAS curricula; to develop the most relevant collection, we rely on faculty members’ expertise to assist the library in identifying which areas are weak, what's missing, and what may be weeded from the collection. Please share your expertise with your librarian liaison, and together we can maintain and continually develop a collection that supports the instructional and research programs of the institution.

12. Is there a deadline for placing orders each year?

There is not. We accept orders at any time and place them as funds become available.

13. How do I submit a request for a journal?

Fill out the Purchase Request Form and indicate that it is a journal request; or e-mail your request directly to the Acquisitions Librarian.

Please check first to determine whether the journal is already available at UAS. Also note that many journals are now available in full text online via the library’s licensed databases. You may search for titles using the Find Articles by Journal Title link from the Egan Library’s homepage.

Journal requests go through a careful evaluation process because, once established, they represent an ongoing financial commitment to the library's operating budget. Journal subscriptions cannot be established against capital grants or other temporary sources of funding without assuming the risk that they may have to be canceled when these funds run out.

14. Who should I contact if I have a question or a complaint about my book orders or acquisitions procedures in general?

The person to contact is Caroline Hassler, the Acquisitions Librarian. Her phone number is 796-6345. Or, you may contact your departmental liaison.

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