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Library Collection Management

Selection of Resources

The Libraries select materials for the collections based on the following criteria: 

  • relevance to the curriculum and activities of the students, faculty, and staff;
  • reliability and reputation of content creators based on peer review and expert recommendation;
  • condition and durability of resource;
  • accessibility in both format and function;
  • cost (including initial purchase price, continuing access fees, and cost of processing and maintenance)

Duplicate Copies

Generally, the Libraries maintains only one copy of each title, whether print or electronic. Older editions will be removed when new editions are available and acquired. 

OWU patrons should utilize OhioLINK and ILL services to obtain additional copies or older editions. 

The Libraries will collect multiple copies for the following materials: 

  • faculty-authored publications;
  • key reference titles, including writing and citation guides; 
  • heavily used titles, including titles selected for campus-wide reads.

Textbooks

Subject-area textbooks can be purchased to be put on course reserve, but please be mindful of the following: 

  • both physical and electronic textbooks can be extremely expensive;
  • textbooks are frequently -- sometimes annually -- updated so what's available now might be obsolete soon; 
  • electronic textbooks are often not available for institutional sale, and are usually only available for individual purchase or rent;
  • we cannot purchase titles that require an access code for additional online content; 
  • there are a wide selection of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Access Textbooks that are readily available for use, for free. 

Resource Requests


Requests for library materials are welcome, but will be subject to review based on the stated selection criteria. Please note that budget considerations -- especially regarding expensive resources like journal subscriptions and online databases -- means that not all requests can be fulfilled. See above for more information on selection and purchasing guidelines. 
 

Request Form

This Google form is the preferred method for one-off requests for library purchases. Fill out the form and a librarian will contact you regarding its status. 

Please note:

  • Library requesting/ordering is not connected with the campus bookstore and runs on completely different systems. If you wish to request items for students to purchase/rent, then contact the bookstore.
  • An order request is not a course reserve request. If you wish to put a purchased item on reserve, then put in a separate reserve request.
Campus Bookstore
Course Reserve Requests

 

Contact a Librarian

If you have a longer list of requests or otherwise can't access the form, please contact your department's library liaison for assistance.

We need the following information to find your items to order: 

  • Title
  • Author
  • ISBN (barcode number)
  • Edition
  • Date resource is needed by
  • Preferred format (print/electronic)

PLEASE DO NOT SEND SCREENSHOTS. They don’t always render in a readable format in an email. If you don’t want to type things out then send a link to the resource, from the publisher’s website or a retail website.

Availability

Please note that availability of resources can vary, as can prices. In particular, older editions of a work are usually discontinued when a newer one is available. We can sometimes acquire out of print items but they are often more expensive and in poorer condition.

Delivery

You will be notified by a librarian once your items have been received and put on the shelf.

Please note that delays in shipping can happen, and it takes time to catalog and label an item, so it's best to order as soon as possible so the item can be made available in a timely manner.

If you wish to put the requested item on course reserve, please submit a separate course reserve request: 

Course Reserves