Every fiscal year, each academic department will be budgeted a fixed amount to spend on additions to the library's collection, specifically print books, eBooks, or DVDs. Streaming videos may also be purchased but only if they are added to the collection through perpetual purchasing, not leased through the vendor as many streaming videos are. This budgeted amount will shift depending on the library's budget for a given fiscal year. Academic departments also have a separate budget for journal subscriptions, but this guide will focus on book acquisitions. Please contact your liaison if you have any questions about budgeting or about journal acquisitions.
Please note that this acquisitions budget will be spent on a first come, first served basis by department. If a department would like to arrange a different method of spending their budget, please contact your liaison.
Each month, instructors will be sent a digital "stack" of book reviews from their liaison. These reviews are of recently published books that have already been narrowed to subjects relevant to the department, and they include a review from an academic instructor, a rating from zero stars (Not Recommended) to five stars (Highly recommended), and the recommended audience, as well as other factors to help you judge the book's merit. You will receive an email from ChoiceReviews.org indicating that your liaison has sent you a stack of book reviews. Learn how to use Choice Review's database to view your department's book stack each month with this guide.
The liaisons ask that instructors submit their book selections by the 15th of each month to promote regular spending of a department's acquisitions budget. Please check your spam folder for emails from Choice Reviews!
Please note that instructors are not limited to selecting books from their monthly Choice Review cards! You may email your liaison with selections found outside of of ChoiceReviews.org, or you can send your liaison a list of books on Choice Reviews that are not included in your monthly book stack, which is narrowed to subjects related to your department.
Here are other websites that may be helpful in locating materials for your department or your faculty research: