Overview | Who may request | Who may approve | Before Submission |
Selectors' approval and forwarding requests to Collection Development |
Submitting requests | Types of materials

 

Overview

Anyone may recommend or request titles to be purchased for the Alkek Library collections. Selectors bear the responsibility of accepting or rejecting those requests. If the Selector has questions concerning a request, she/he should consult the Collection Development Librarian or the Head Acquisitions Librarian.

After a request is submitted to Collection Development, if there is a question about the request, Collection Development will consult with the designated subject librarian for that academic department or the Collection Development Librarian. If faculty must be consulted, the subject librarian or the Collection Development Librarian will do so.

Who may request

Requestors: 

• Any Texas State faculty or librarian
• Texas State students and staff
• Library patrons not part of the Texas State community

Who may approve

Selectors:
 

• Designated subject librarian assigned to the academic department
• Faculty or staff designated by the department Chairs as approvers of library requests, often the department library representative.
• There are many selection and review tools specific to subject fields or disciplines. It is the responsibility of the subject librarian to become familiar with existing selection tools relevant to their areas of responsibility and to stay current with the new and changing resources and methods of information dissemination.
• It is the responsibility of the subject librarian selectors to determine the most effective and efficient format to disseminate subject content, keeping in mind the legal, financial and technical parameters under which the library must operate. This includes digital material options and restrictions. Public performance rights for films should be requested when available and financially feasible.

Before submitting a request:
 

• Check the library catalog to see if the library already owns the material.
• Check for current holdings, other editions, “On order” or “In process” indications. Duplicate requests will be returned to the requestor.
• Ensure each request contains as much complete information as is available for the title, i.e. price, year, publisher, availability, ISBN.
   

Selector’s approval and forwarding requests to Collection Development
 

• Requests submitted electronically are forwarded directly to the department’s designated Selector/Approver. Once the selector either “approves” or “disapproves,” the request transfers electronically to Collection Development.
• For other electronic selection tools, such as GOBI3, subject librarians are responsible for reviewing suggestions and submitting their selections to the librarian folder.
• If designated to do so, subject librarians may submit requests to their assigned subject faculty folders.

Submitting requests
 

• Submit requests using the Order Request Form, found on the library's home page under Services, Request Forms. 
• Submit selections via GOBI3 selection tool.
• Patrons may also make requests at the library’s service desks, or contact a Selector directly.
   

Library Material Selected:

Serials and Continuations – titles which are published in multiple issues, and intended to be on going, indefinitely. Journals, magazines, annuals and some proceedings are examples. Serials collection development procedures are specified in the Serials Policy. Ongoing serial subscriptions must be approved by the academic department faculty library representative.

Special Materials Orders (SMO) – are single issue/s or volumes of titles designated as serials in OCLC, but are not wanted on a continuing or standing order basis by the Alkek Library. They are a one-time purchase or non-consecutive purchases for the collection. SMO collection development procedures are specified in the Serials Policy. Because these are not an ongoing expense, the designated subject librarians and/or department faculty may select this material.

Books, books on CD, audiotape and Ebooks – titles are selected for appropriateness of content, in the most effective and efficient format for dissemination of that content. For print material, hard bound books are preferred. Paperbacks are ordered only if the hardbound is not available. Textbooks are not routinely purchased, nor consumable (workbooks, lab manuals, etc.) materials. The library will order up to a maximum of four copies of a work.

Books with accompanying discs – if a book is published with an accompanying disc, both are shelved in the Alkek circulating stacks.

Software – Library material allocation may not be used to purchase software, unless it is the only way to access necessary content. Computer software with accompanying user manuals may be housed in the library’s Computer Lab, if the product license requires restricted access. All software purchased must conform to the legal, financial and technical parameters of access within the library.

Microforms – generally consist of research collections, and as such are purchased as non-continuing titles. Acquisitions Serials Unit purchases serial microforms.

Audio/Visual materials – audiovisual materials include, but are not limited to, CD, DVD, streaming video/audio, audiocassette and VHS. Alkek Library however, does not purchase material in formats that are not supported by the equipment in the library. Public Performance Rights will be requested when available and financially feasible.