In the case that the Library does not own or license a resource that is needed for teaching and/or research and for which IDS (Interlibrary Loan) will not suffice, faculty are welcome to submit a purchase request. Requests for print and electronic books and streaming film access are usually honored unless the Library cannot locate a vendor for the item or the cost is prohibitively high. The person who submitted the request will receive an email confirmation that the purchase was made or an email with an explanation as to why the item was not purchased within a couple of business days.
Requests for subscription resources (i.e. journals and databases) will be followed up with an email from the head of collection management. Subscriptions require an ongoing annual payment for continued access so the Library evaluates requests for these types of resources more closely.
For journals, the Library will compare the estimated cost effectiveness of a subscription versus the cost to fill requests for articles using IDS (Interlibrary Loan) and the anticipated need for access (how often and by how many faculty members and students will IDS requests be submitted for articles if a subscription is not pursued). In some cases, it will be more cost effective and better service to faculty and students for the Library to subscribe to a journal. In other cases, it may be more cost effective and acceptable to ask faculty and students to submit IDS (Interlibrary Loan) requests for needed articles.
Purchase Request Forms:
