Acquisitions: Ordering Books & eBooks for the Library

'Acquisitions' is the section of the Library responsible for the acquisition of, and subscription to books, serials and databases for the Library. Acquisition can be by purchase, legal deposit, and through donation. The section is responsible for the administration of Library materials funds, and the ordering of books and serials in all formats.

Acquisitions staff:

Acquisitions Librarian: Vacant

Norma Garde:
e: n.garde@ucc.ie 
t: +353-21-490 3182

Fergal Gaynor:
e: f.gaynor@ucc.ie 
t: +353-21-490 2032

Thomas O'Carroll:
e: t.ocarroll@ucc.ie 
t: +353-21-490 2063

Ger O'Sullivan:
e: g.osullivan@ucc.ie 
t: +353-21-490 2139

To receive an email alert to new books in your subject area log into your Library Account. See the instructions for Preferred Searches and email alerts.

Please use the e-Proposal form if you would like to suggest new books and eBooks for the Library. The form can be used by any UCC staff member or student. These proposals are channeled to the relevant 'Library Representative' for ratification. Library Representatives within academic Colleges, Schools and Departments assist the Library in managing book budgets.  

• e-Proposal Form for Book & eBook Proposals

Please note:

• you must log in with your UCC Credentials to complete this proposal
• you must choose the relevant School or Department for Q.7 on the form

 eBooks can be purchased for the Library in much the same way as print books. Please use the e-Proposal form indicating that the proposal is for an eBook (from Jan 2024 eBooks will no longer incur VAT)  Under 'Format', choose 'eBook'. The staff in Acquisitions will then check:

• if the title is available as an eBook with an institutional license
• the number of concurrent users permitted
• the pricing from different vendors

Once an eBook has been purchased, it is added to the Library catalogue. Examples:

• Gray's Anatomy for Students, Drake, Richard
• Succeeding with your Literature Review: a Handbook for Students, Oliver, Paul

In the majority of cases, the timeframe is:

The staff in Acquisitions contact vendors on a regular basis to claim any material not received within these timeframes.

There are a number of stages between the time a book is proposed through to its availability on the Library shelves. These are indicated on the catalogue.

1.  When a book is placed on order this is indicated on the catalogue as follows:

      1 copy ordered for Boole Library on 21-12-2016

2.  When the book has been received and invoiced in Acquisitions it is passed to the Cataloguing Section and indicated as follows:

       1 copy being processed for Boole Library

3.  When the book has been catalogued and is in final stage of processing this is indicated as:

       In Transit 

4.  When the book has been sent from Cataloging to be shelved this is indicated as:

      Check Shelf

The University's fiscal year runs from the 1st October through to the 30th September. The University requires that all funds are spent by the 30th September.

For the 2023/24 academic year the deadline for the receipt of proposals for book/eBook purchases will be Friday 3rd May 2024.  This is to ensure spending of all funds are spent efficiently. 

Note that it is advisable to send in book proposals as early in the year as possible.

The current budget formula allocates funding to each academic College / School / Department based on student FTEs (70% of allocation) and average serial prices (30% of allocation) in each discipline. Each allocation is divided between serial and book funds. When the Library receives its annual allocation, the total estimated cost of serials is subtracted from the total resources budget to give the total amount available for purchasing books and eBooks.

Materials proposed for ordering should reflect the overall needs of the discipline. Each proposal should contain as much bibliographic detail as possible:

• ISBN (International Standard Book Number) - this not only corresponds to a particular book title, but to its format and edition too. Vendors supply by ISBN rather than title, so an incorrect ISBN, even when accompanied by the correct title, format, etc., is likely to result in the supply of an incorrect book.
• Currency - Please quote prices, where possible, in the original currency. 
• Multiple copies - Before completing the proposal form please check the catalogue.  If the library holds a copy, please indicate that extra copies are required - a maximum of 10 copies of any text is allowed.
• VAT is not applied to books, or e-books from Jan 2024, but is applied to other e-resources - DVDs, microfilm (23%). 

For eBooks:

• Not all books are published in electronic format and not all eBooks are available for institutional access.
• Publishers may give a choice of single, three or unlimited simultaneous user license models; please specify a preference depending on anticipated usage. The Acquisitions staff will investigate the options and confirm prior to purchase.