Getting started with making purchase requests

At the end of 2021 we held some focus groups to get feedback on the acquisitions service at the library. One of the big messages to come out of these sessions was that our users wanted more information about making purchase requests and delivery times.

So, alongside a review of our process, we went away and created a LibGuide to explain things. The aim of the guide is for it to be good starting point for making a purchase request, get information about delivery times, and to provide an FAQ’s section to help answer some questions you may have.

Some highlights of the LibGuide are:

• Busy Times of the Year (Home Tab): This shows busy periods of the year for the acquisitions team. At busy times of the year requests may take longer to process so this information can give you an idea of possible delays.
• Recent Purchases (Home Tab): A rotating gallery of some recent purchases are displayed. You can click on the image for more information about accessing the title.
• Ordering Stages (Making a request tab): There are a number of different stages to order a resource for purchase. This section gives a brief step by step process for each stage.
• Information for Academics: This explains the two different processes (Reading List and Non-Reading List items) for requesting purchases.
• MORE Books: Learn more about how you can request additional copies of titles.
• Liberate My Library: A service to help diversify our collections and have better representation from groups including BAME, gender and identity, LGBTQ+ and Disability.
• Delivery Times : This provides Delivery Times information to help give you an idea of how long your request will take to arrive.
• FAQ’s : Some of the most asked questions about acquisitions are answered here.

We hope the guide is useful for you whether you are requesting a purchase for the first time or want to be kept up to date with delivery times. If there are any other acquisitions details that you would like to see please let us know (library.acquisitions@durham.ac.uk) after all these changes all started from feedback we received from you.

If you need any further help with making a request please contact the Library via ASK DULIB.