Teacher's guide: Acquisition

We select and build up our collection in cooperation with researchers, teachers and students to support the aims and the focus areas of the university.

What kind of material is missing? What kind of material would you need?

We can search for newly published books according to your wishes on a subject you have submitted to us.

For more information contact: kirjasto.kokoelmat@oulu.fi.

1. We purchase literature in all the different disciplines represented at the University, using the appropriation granted to the Library for this purpose. Both staff and students are welcome to make acquisition suggestions with the Acquisition Suggestion Form.
2. We also acquire books and periodicals with funds provided by the faculties and projects. The acquisition of periodicals is the responsibility of the periodicals unit of Pegasus Library (kausijulkaisut.tilaukset@oulu.fi), which acquires periodicals based on acquisition requests made by the departments.Since every department makes the decisions regarding which periodicals are acquired and is responsible for the subscription expenses, a permission of the teacher responsible for the subject or the person responsible for journals is required before a subscription can be made.
3. Textbook acquisition: Please, check the Interleaf concerning this matter.
4. The library  acquires licenses for electronic resources. These include individual journals, various databases, reference works and electronic books. Most of the electronic resources have been acquired under national contracts through FinELib.For more information contact: elele@oulu.fi.

Oulu University Library acquires all textbooks and study materials included in the degree requirements using the library allowance. The academic subjects are responsible for acquiring the so-called examiner’s copies of course textbooks.

The number of course textbook copies acquired by the library is 30-50 % of the total number of students taking an examination at the same time, estimated by the teacher of the course. Electronic versions of course textbooks are also acquired when available. It is possible that an electronic book is only available on a single-concurrent user licence.

More copies of course textbooks will be acquired if

1. successful completion of the course is a prerequisite for completing subsequent study modules
2. the course takes the form of a reading circle or the book is otherwise needed for the duration of the course
3. the field of science is book-oriented.

Less copies of course textbooks will be acquired if

1. the book serves mostly as supplementary reading material
2. the book is freely available online.

The numbers of requests placed for course textbooks will be actively monitored and additional copies will be acquired is needed.

The persons in charge of study modules are responsible for informing the library of course textbooks. The library must be informed of new additions to the textbooks included in the degree requirements of basic degrees at the University of Oulu by the end of May, before the start of the new academic year, with the course textbook acquisition suggestion form. The form should also be used to inform the library of books no longer in the degree requirements and of older editions.

If the library is not informed in time of new or changed course textbooks, it is possible that the books will not be available when the course begins. Acquiring printed textbooks can take as long as several months.

The person in charge of the course decides which books are chosen for the course. If needed, the library can help in finding out the existence and availability of new books potentially suitable for the course in both print and electronic form.

For further information please contact the library’s acquisitions services at: kirjasto.hankinta@oulu.fi.

Kari Tossavainen, tel. 0294 483527

Terttu Illikainen, tel. 0294 482305

Raija Järvitalo, tel. 0294 483245