Ordering Library Materials

The Reading List Service

The Reading List Service will purchase, subject to availability and affordability, all essential items used in your teaching not currently available in the Library as well as items necessary for the decolonisation of your reading list. The cost of these items will be deducted from the specially created Reading List fund and not your departmental budget. 

For more information on the Reading List Service and how to order from us, please visit our webpage or email us at Library@abdn.ac.uk. 

Ordering new books

Book orders can be sent to Library Acquisitions, Floor 1, The Sir Duncan Rice Library, in a variety of ways - order cards, clearly annotated publishers' catalogues or the web Book Order Form .

All orders must carry the authorising signature or password of the appropriate Departmental Library Representative. The web order form should be completed, as far as possible, by the recommender and forwarded to the appropriate Library Representative (see instructions at the top of the form) for authorisation. Please provide as much information as possible.

Ebooks - individual title purchases  

Individual books may be available in electronic format and can be ordered in the same way as print books.  

Libraries at Scottish Higher and Further Education institutes can purchase electronic books, under preferential terms, from the supplier platforms of ebook aggregators. A Framework Agreement for the supply of ebooks has been awarded by APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges for Scotland) to the following library suppliers. 

The Framework Agreement offers: 

• Three suppliers from which the library can select the best value route for supply of their required ebook(s). 
• No annual platform fees (therefore no barriers to access by institutions) - plus access arrangements at no cost for libraries with previously procured content from the successful suppliers. 
• Discount offered by suppliers. 
• Agreed standard license terms with all three suppliers. 
• Ongoing performance monitoring and contract management. 

What determines choice of supplier? 

When purchasing an ebook the library must first check each framework suppliers’ database to determine that they can provide access, and the access options available – single user (1-user), 3-user, unlimited user, credit (concurrent access). 

The suppliers are under the constraints of publishers, some of which will only sell on a particular model, for example: single user, or small credit allowance (100 credits). Some may offer only a restrictive licence, for example: 1-user for 365 days.

When requesting the purchase of an ebook, it is helpful if the intended use can be given eg: required reading, distance learners, multi-course use. This will help determine the licence that should be purchased, along with the total price payable for that required e-book licence. 

EBSCO Information Services

www.ebsco.com

• Purchased e-books are available on perpetual access. 
• Purchase models available: 
  • Concurrent user/Single user – These vary by publisher and type of e-book (1 user licence, 3 user licence) Costs increase in relation to the licence required, e.g.: 1 user £50, 3 user £160. When a single user title is accessed it is ‘checked out’ and can’t be read by any other users until the user ends the session. The same applies to the other licences. 
  • Unlimited Access - An unlimited number of users can access the e-book at the same time. 
  • Credits or Concurrent Access – These vary by publisher and type of e-book (300 or 325). 
  • 1 credit = 24-hour access period. 
  • 24 hours access is from point of entry, for 24 hours. 
  • If a user logs in and out multiple times within the 24-hour period, it is still part of the same credit. 
  • A student can download a title to multiple devices, and it still only uses 1 credit.
  • 2 credits are used when the user downloads the e-book, 48-hour usage
  • Multiple users can access the e-book on the credit model at the same time (until the credits run out). 
  • Credits are automatically refreshed on the anniversary of their purchase at no extra cost. The maximum number of credits set by a publisher in a year is capped at 325. If usage approaches this 'cap', the library will need to consider either the purchase of a further copy to ensure continued access or on considering the renewal date, if close to anniversary of purchase, wait until credits are automatically refreshed. If a further e-book with credits is purchased, it will show on the same catalogue record, however, the credits will be doubled. 
• The e-books which are purchased are listed in the Library Catalogue/Primo. The catalogue record includes a direct URL link to the e-book, Primo searches will show ‘online access’, and requires a Shibboleth login for which users use their university username and password. 
• In the instance when both a single user licence and a credit licence of the same title has been purchased, the e-book provider's system will use the single user licence and only activate the credit licence when a second user tries to access.
• Online reader is compatible with most browsers and requires no plug-ins or additional software. 
• Mobile downloads for devices that support digital editions. 

• Supported on PC’s, Macs and mobile devices with Android 4.0 or iOs5 or later. 
• Print and copy facility – generally 10% allowance.

Browns Books

www.brownsbfs.co.uk

• Purchased e-books are available on perpetual access. 
• Purchase models available: 
  • Concurrent user/Single user – These vary by publisher and type of e-book (1 user licence, 3 user licence, 5 user licence & 10 user licence). Costs increase in relation to the licence required, e.g.: 1 user £50, 10 users £400. When a single user title is accessed it is ‘checked out’ and can’t be read by any other users until the user ends the session. The same applies to the other licences. 
  • Unlimited Access - An unlimited number of users can access the e-book at the same time. 
  • Credits – These vary by publisher and type of e-book (100, 200, 325). 
  • 1 credit = 24-hour access period. 
  • 24 hours access is from point of entry, for 24 hours. 
  • If a user logs in and out multiple times within the 24-hour period, it is still part of the same credit. 
  • A student can download a title to multiple devices, and it still only uses 1 credit.
  • 2 credits are used when the user downloads the e-book, 48-hour usage – NB: Downloads can be switched off with VLeBooks and are made ‘read online’ only.
  • Multiple users can access the e-book on the credit model at the same time (until the credits run out). 
  • Credits are automatically refreshed on the anniversary of their purchase at no extra cost. The maximum number of credits set by a publisher in a year is capped at 325. If usage approaches this 'cap', the library will need to consider either the purchase of a further copy to ensure continued access or on considering the renewal date, if close to anniversary of purchase, wait until credits are automatically refreshed. If a further e-book with credits is purchased, it will show on the same catalogue record, however, the credits will be doubled. 
• The e-books which are purchased are listed in the Library Catalogue/Primo. The catalogue record includes a direct URL link to the e-book, Primo searches will show ‘online access’, and requires a Shibboleth login for which users use their university username and password. 
• In the instance when both a single user licence and a credit licence of the same title has been purchased, the e-book provider's system will use the single user licence and only activate the credit licence when a second user tries to access.
• Online reader is compatible with most browsers and requires no plug-ins or additional software. 
• Mobile downloads for devices that support digital editions. 

• Supported on PC’s, Macs and mobile devices with Android 4.0 or iOs5 or later. 
• Print and copy facility – generally 10% allowance.

ProQuest LLC

 www.proquest.com/products-services/ebooks/ebooks-main.html

• Purchased e-books are available on perpetual access. 
• Purchase models available:
  • Concurrent user/Single user – These vary by publisher and type of e-book (1 user licence, 3 user licence, 5 user licence & 10 user licence). Costs increase in relation to the licence required, e.g.: 1 user £50, 3 users £135. When a single user title is accessed it is ‘checked out’ and can’t be read by any other users until the user ends the session. The same applies to the other licences.
  • Unlimited Access - an unlimited number of users can access the e-book at the same time.
  • Credits, known as Non-Linear (NL) on ProQuest, these vary by publisher and type of e-book (typically up to 325 lending days).
  • 1 credit (NL) = 24-hour access period.
  • 24 hours access is from point of entry, for 24 hours.
  • If a user logs in and out multiple times within the 24-hour period, it is still part of the same credit (NL). 
  • 2 credits (NL) are used when the user downloads the e-book, 48-hour usage.
  • Multiple users can access the e-book on the credit (NL) model at the same time (until the credits run out). 
  • Credits (NL) are automatically refreshed on the anniversary of their purchase at no extra cost. The maximum number of credits set by a publisher in a year is capped at 325. If usage approaches this 'cap', the library will need to consider either the purchase of a further copy to ensure continued access or on considering the renewal date, if close to anniversary of purchase, wait until credits are automatically refreshed. If a further e-book with credits is purchased, it will show on the same catalogue record, however, the credits will be doubled.  
• The e-books which are purchased are listed in the Library Catalogue/Primo. The catalogue record includes a direct URL link to the e-book, Primo searches will show 'online access'.
   
• Online reader is compatible with most browsers and requires no plug-ins or additional software.
   
• Mobile downloads for devices that support digital editions.
   
• Supported on PC’s, Macs and mobile devices with Android 4.0 or iOs5 or later.
   
• Print and copy facility – generally 10% allowance.

To discuss subscriptions to journals, please contact your Information Consultant.

Online Resources

To discuss subscriptions to, or purchases of, other online resources such as databases or primary source archives, please contact your Information Consultant.

Personal purchases of material for the library 

In exceptional circumstances academic staff may obtain refunds for personal purchases of books or other material which they intend to purchase and place in the Library. The maximum value that can be refunded is £40. In all such cases prior approval from the Library will be required - no refunds will be provided without this prior approval. Please contact bookorders@abdn.ac.uk detailing the item(s) you require to purchase and stating why they cannot be acquired through our standard acquisition procedures.