To order resources for teaching you can either:
- Create a reading list on Reading Lists Online and request a review. A member of the team will make sure all Essential and Recommended titles are held in the collection
- Email the library at library-acquisitions@qmul.ac.uk with the following details:
- Title
- Author
- ISBN
- Reading category (i.e. Essential/Recommended/Optional)
- Semester required (semester A, B or C),
- Enrolment (number of students on the module. Why do we need this? See below)
To make the process work seamlessly for you (and for us), please bear the following points in mind:
- Orders should be placed no less than 3 months before the material is needed
- Orders are processed in the order in which they are received
E-Books explained
We have an e-first policy when purchasing books, and only purchase print copies if electronic access is unavailable, assuming the cost is reasonable. If you feel we need to make an exception due to a specific learning need on your course, please get in touch to discuss with us.
E-books are quick to acquire, accessible 24/7 from any location and don’t take up shelf space.
Here is a quick guide to e-book licence types and terminology:
- Perpetual Access e-books – once paid for these are owned by the library in perpetuity
- Single User licence/Multi-User licence/Unlimited user licence – the number of readers who can view the book at the same time. Ranges from 1 to unlimited.
- Individual purchase – as the name implies, e-books sold directly to individual account holders, e.g. Amazon Kindle. The library cannot provide access to these.
- E-textbooks – these are titles where, rather than releasing a perpetual e-book library licence, the publisher only releases the title on a price per user x RRP, per year subscription licence. These tend to be very expensive and may not be able to be purchased from Library budget.
If you are an academic staff member planning to use a Library e-book as part as an exam, please contact us to check details of user licenses and access links.
Ordering quotas
Evidence shows that in many cases multiple copies of titles are not used. Therefore, the number of copies/licences we acquire is based on the following quotas:
| Category | e-book | Print book (if e-book not available) |
|---|---|---|
|
Essential |
Unlimited concurrent user licence if available OR if unavailable, purchase single user licences, 1 per 20 students, up to a maximum of 10 in total. |
1 copy per 20 students up to a maximum of 10 in total. |
|
Recommended |
1 licence |
1 copy |
|
Optional |
1 licence if specifically requested (via Reading List ‘note for library’ or email) |
1 copy if specifically requested (via Reading List ‘note for library’ or email) |
|
Non-reading list |
1 licence if specifically requested |
1 copy if specifically requested |
We monitor turnaways from e-books and holds on print copies and will promptly purchase additional copies where it is shown to be necessary.
If books are requested which go over a cost threshold, the academic or library rep will be consulted to make them aware of the cost, ensure that this is proportionate to the title’s requirement, and to investigate whether cheaper alternatives are available. They will also ask for high-cost titles to be actively promoted to users as a condition of purchase. The threshold will be (a) £500 for an individual request for student numbers which are less than 50 (to include the total value of multiple copies/licences) and (b) £800 for student numbers which are greater than 50 (to include the total value of multiple copies/licences).
Direct Book Purchase
The library has entered a partnership with John Smith & Sons to provide books/e-textbooks for individual student use.
Rather than purchasing books for the library collection, schools now have the freedom to acquire books directly for their students, ensuring key texts are available for student use.
If you are interested in providing books/e-textbooks directly to your students, contact Jenni Morton – John Smith’s.
Staff members can use this form to request a digitisation of a book section, chapter or an article from a journal. If the request is copyright compliant and can be sourced, Library Services will upload the document and you will receive an email notification.
If you use the Online Reading List system (Talis Aspire) please request your scan directly from the list by following this quick guide to requesting digitisations. Please contact library-rlo@qmul.ac.uk if you need support.
Please provide as much information about the scan and your module as possible. When prompted for start and end dates, please use
- Start date: 1 Sep 2024
- End date: 31 Aug 2025