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Ordering items for the Library: Home

A guide for teaching staff and researchers.

Requesting items for teaching

Screenshot of part of a Library ListUse one of the following two methods to request books and other items that are required (at least in part) for teaching:


Use Library Lists:
  • A Library List is an online reading list, specific to an individual unit, which can be accessed via Moodle. It features links to online items and details of print copies. Using our software, you can create or edit a Library list. Where possible, we'll then order any listed items that we don’t currently provide. For instructions, refer to Library Lists guide. 
  • Guide to e-book provision: find out about licence restrictions in the academic e-book market and possible solutions.

Alternatively, email us:

You can email a list of the required items to library@bath.ac.uk. We'll then create (or edit) the Library List for your unit’s Moodle course. This process triggers the ordering of listed books that we don’t currently provide. The sooner you can send us your lists, the more likely we can obtain new items in good time. When emailing us, please follow these instructions:

  • Include the following details: author, title, edition, year of publication.
  • Also include the unit code/title(s) and the approximate number of students in the cohort. 
  • Assign one of the following categories to each book: essential, recommended or background. For essential titles, we aim to purchase online e-book licences that allow multiple concurrent users and if an e-book copy isn’t available, we usually order multiple print copies instead (we determine the number of copies based on the size of the cohort). 
  • Identify any items that you'd like us to reserve on your behalf. For further information, refer to reservations on requested items.
  • Identify any items required urgently and we'll do our best to fast-track them. While it’s best to allow sufficient time for us to order items, we realise that this isn't always possible. 
  • Guide to e-book provision: find out about licence restrictions in the academic e-book market and possible solutions.

Requesting items for research

To request an item that you require solely for your own research:

  • Email library@bath.ac.uk.
  • Include the following details: author, title, edition, year of publication.
  • Please state that you’re requesting the book for research purposes only.
  • Let us know if you require the book urgently (we'll do our best to fast-track it). 
  • If we obtain a print copy, we'll reserve it on your behalf. For further information, refer to reservations on requested items in this guide.
  • Rather than request items for our collection, you may prefer to use our Inter-Library Loan service. You can also use this to request scanned chapters and articles.

Reservations on requested items

  • If we have reserved a print copy on your behalf, you'll be notified by email once it’s available for you to collect from the ‘Reserved for Collection’ shelf (Library Level 2, opposite the lift). If we have ordered an e-book instead, we'll notify you by email once the e-book is about to be added to the Library Catalogue.
     
  • Books that are ‘on order’ or ‘in process’ on the Library Catalogue: you won’t be able to reserve these, but you ask us to do this on your behalf by e-mailing the Acquisitions Team (include your library card number).

Receiving and processing items

  • The Library gets deliveries of new books every day. Once a book has arrived in the Library, its Library Catalogue record will display the words, "in process of acquisitions technical services’’.
  • We prioritise any items marked ‘urgent’, and then process the rest in strict date order.
  • All items need to be allocated a classification number and given an accurate record on the Library Catalogue before they can be made available for loan.
  • For information on the progress of an order, email the Acquisitions Team.

Library Suppliers

  • The University of Bath is a member of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium (SUPC). As such, the Library benefits from favourable deals with contract-winning book suppliers in terms of discounts, customer support and extra services such as book covering.
     
  • We make only occasional use of suppliers such as Amazon (for example, to obtain out-of-print books or when there's no acceptable alternative). It's not feasible to rely solely upon such services as they aren't able to provide us with the same level of support (or discount!) as our contract-winning suppliers.

Donations

  • We're very happy to consider donations but please note that generally, we're unable to accept materials that do not support the University’s research, teaching, strategic or administrative priorities. Therefore, we reserve the right to either accept or dispose of a donated item at any point after receiving it.
  • Where we accept a donation, this is on the understanding that it's integrated into our regular collection.
  • If you'd like to offer a donation to the library, please email the details to library@bath.ac.uk and one of our Subject Librarians will then consider your kind offer.