Departmental Library Representatives and Library Liaisons
Each academic department designates a departmental library representative to serve as the main point of contact with the University Libraries. The library representative receives communications from the Libraries, keeps colleagues informed about library matters, and communicates materials requests and library concerns to the library subject selector for his or her area.
The University Libraries designate librarians as selectors for specific subject areas (which may or may not correspond to a single department or program). The subject selectors collaborate with faculty to build, maintain, and evaluate library collections in their areas. Faculty may also contact their selector for assistance with reference and research needs in their areas. The subject selectors should develop and maintain a knowledge of current curricula and faculty research interests in their areas; if there are graduate programs, they should also be aware of current areas of thesis/dissertation research. It is up to individual selectors and academic departments to establish the type of working relationship which best suits them. If questions arise in developing a mutually satisfactory arrangement, these should be referred to the Associate Dean for Collections & Operations.
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Materials Budgets
The University Libraries allocate book funds to subjects through an allocation formula. These funds primarily support one-time purchases in all formats (books, audio-visual materials, scores, etc.) and standing orders for monographic series and annuals.
The periodicals budget primarily supports ongoing subscriptions, with some one-time purchases of backfiles and replacement copies. The periodicals budget is not allocated; spending typically follows historical patterns and inflationary trends. Occasional adjustments are made to align spending with changes in curriculum and campus priorities. A significant part of this budget is now committed to long-term consortial purchasing agreements.
TopMaterials Requests
Requests for materials may be sent directly to the appropriate subject selector or to the acquisitions or periodicals units, which will then route them to the selectors. The subject selectors review faculty requests as they are received. The purpose of this is not to question faculty expertise, but to look at requests in the context of our collections, other OhioLINK collections, alternative forms of access, and limited budget resources. Most requests are processed promptly without further consultation; some may require further discussion. If the subject selector and a faculty member are unable to agree about a purchase request, it may be referred to the Associate Dean for Collections & Operations for review. All periodicals/database requests are reviewed by the Associate Dean before a final decision is made.
Students, and staff may also request materials purchases by completing the online request form or by contacting the appropriate subject selector.
Reviewed by the University Library Committee 3/2008
Reviewed by Library Faculty 4/2008