We will temporarily pause the wider reading Suggest a Book process from Thursday 28 March until 1 August 2024. This is to ensure we can continue to provide access to core and recommended texts for teaching and learning.
The following categories are not affected by the pause:
- core/recommended texts for teaching via reading lists
- items already on order
- items already suggested via Awareness Months activities
If you need access to materials for wider reading during the pause period, these may be available via interlibrary loan or the SCONUL Access Scheme. Answers to frequently asked questions are available below. If you have any questions, please contact collections@nottingham.ac.uk.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the item I need is already available via Libraries?
You can search our print and digital collections on our online discovery tool, NUsearch. Log in to NUsearch to make sure you are viewing all available items.
I need an item urgently, what can I do?
Resources required for undergraduate assignments should be readily available via NUsearch.
If you need to access resources for wider reading, you may be able to access this through our interlibrary loan service (borrowing items from other institutions) or SCONUL Access Scheme (visiting participating University libraries).
I need a book to support my teaching.
For the remainder of this financial year, we will prioritise access to core and recommended texts for teaching. You can add required resources to your reading list in the usual way. We will continue to purchase new content for reading lists submitted for review.
If you have any questions about material for teaching in the 2023-24 academic year, please contact the Collections Team.
I need a book for my dissertation / research over the summer.
There are a number of alternatives that you may wish to explore:
- A wide range of print and electronic resources are already available through NUsearch. Help with finding books and journal articles in NUsearch is available with our Getting started using Library Resources guide
- Consult the Subject Guides for support with locating alternative material in your subject area.
- The author you’re interested in may have submitted a version of the book or book chapter to their institutional repository. They may also have written a journal article on a similar topic. Locate the author’s profile on their home institution’s website and you should find a list of their publications. They might also be a member of ResearchGate. If you know their ORCID iD (the unique, persistent identifier which researchers use) you can search ORCID to find links to their research.
- Talk to your supervisor, they may have other suggestions relating to your subject.
- You may be able to access an item you need through our interlibrary loan service (borrowing items from other institutions) or SCONUL Access Scheme (visiting participating University libraries).
Will this impact on awareness month book suggestions?
Book suggestions shared by staff and students during awareness months to help diversify our leisure reading collection are processed separately to wider reading book suggestions.
Book suggestions received via this process during LGBT+ History Month have already been processed and many of the items will be appearing in libraries soon. There are no further awareness month promotions planned before 1 August.
Book suggestions to continue diversifying our leisure reading collections will continue as normal next academic year.
Can you save our book suggestions and buy them after 1 August?
In order to ensure we’re purchasing items that are still required, we are unable to store up book suggestions over the temporary pause period. We ask staff and students to submit their suggestions when the process re-opens after 1 August.
The book I need is missing from the shelf.
If you can’t find the book you need on the library shelves, please speak to a member of library staff or report it using the missing books form.
Will you be looking at journal and database subscriptions?
The Journals and Subscriptions Policy (PDF) outlines the approach Libraries take to review subscriptions each year. Last year we worked with the Faculties of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and Health Sciences to review subscriptions based on evidence of usage/demand and informed by academic input.
This annual cycle of review will proceed as planned and in 2024 we’ll collaborate with the Faculty of Social Sciences. We’ll be in touch with the relevant Academic Library Representatives in May/June regarding any proposed changes (with feedback by the end of August to inform renewals for 2025).
Posted on Thursday 28th March 2024