Requesting Material for the Collection
Online forms:
More about books, DVDs, CDs, scores & other one-time purchases:
- Other request options
E-mail author, title, publisher, date, cost, and ISBN to Jessica Yates, Acquisitions Coordinator: jryates@berry.edu
Send publishers' catalogs, blurbs, or brochures to Jessica Yates, Memorial Library. In some cases, catalogs must be included with the order to receive a discount or take advantage of dated sales offers. Please clearly indicate items requested. If submitting printed or photocopied pages, make sure publisher/vendor information is included.
- Timeline. Turnaround can vary from three weeks to several months. If an item is needed immediately, please use email or the online form, and include a note stating that this is a priority order. Call Jessica Yates (ext. 5887) to inquire about your requests at any time.
- Format. Unless otherwise specified, the least expensive form (usually print) will be purchased. Please note if electronic format is preferred.
- Priorities. If submitting multiple requests, please provide priority, as budget restrictions may apply.
More about new journal subscriptions:
Careful consideration is required in establishing new journal subscriptions, since journals represent an ongoing commitment of fiscal resources. Criteria often used in evaluating titles for inclusion in the collection include:
- relevance to the present academic curriculum or to curricular initiatives
- strength of the existing collection in the title's subject area
- present use of other serials in this subject area and projected future use
- cost and format
- reputation of the journal and the publisher
- the tools which index or otherwise provide access to the title
- prior use of the title via interlibrary loan
Additional information:
- Format. In general, online subscriptions to journals and newspapers will be preferred over print when available. Justification for print subscriptions to titles that are available online include cost, usability and completeness of content, and a department or program’s desire to maintain a browsing collection of high-interest titles.
- Justification. Each request for a new subscription must be accompanied by a written statement justifying the need for the journal (see request form below). We especially will be looking for indications that a requested journal will support teaching, but other considerations might include the number of faculty interested in its purchase, its usefulness to more than one department, whether it is necessary for accreditation, etc.
- Timeline: Requests are forwarded to the librarian liaison for the department or program, who makes a recommendation to the Library’s collection development committee. Requests submitted no later than September 1 of each year will allow time to evaluate the request, complete the order process and begin receiving issues at the start of the following calendar year.
- Department or program approval. The person initiating the request discusses the need for the subscription with members of the relevant department or program, and assures that the request is supported by departmental or program consensus. Departments or programs may be asked to prioritize requests.
Supplementary Acquisitions Funds
Supplementary acquisitions funds are available for new tenure track faculty members to select materials for the library in support of teaching and research. To arrange for these acquisitions please contact the Library Director, Sherre Harrington (sharrington@berry.edu, 706-236-2285).