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Reading List Guide

Purchasing Policy

Purchasing policy

The Library uses the online reading list to purchase resources for students. When we receive your list, we consider the estimated number of students on the module, the importance tag you have assigned it and is the item in use on other modules: for example, is it an essential reading to be used over multiple weeks across multiple modules, or is it suggested background reading to be used for a particular essay question?

For us to be able to make the right purchasing decisions, the online system requires you to tag the importance of each item and we have two categories to choose from:

  • Essential Reading - e-resources only, no print items. We can purchase print to digitise from if only a part of the book is essential reading
  • Further Reading - print and e-resources.

All items for Online Distance Learning (ODL) modules must be online resources.

For campus courses books are purchased using the following ratios as a guideline:

Type of reading (indicated on reading list) Number of electronic copies purchased Number of print copies purchased Loan status allocated
Essential - no print items will be purchased. 1 per 10 students- where appropriate we will purchase unlimited access 

N/A

N/A
Further 1 copy 1 copy Main

The exact ratio of electronic to print copies will vary depending on the type of ebook licence and access model provided by the publisher. For more information about ebook purchasing, please contact readinglists.lib@sussex.ac.uk. 

To request a purchase

To request a purchase for your reading list:

Add the items to your reading list by:

  • Clicking +Add in the top left of the list and select Manual entry
  • Select type Book, add the title, click next
  • Copy in a URL for any version of the book, click next
  • Choose a section or week to add it to, select a tag essential or further and click add
  • If you haven't already sent the list for review, please do so now by clicking the 3 dots in the top right and selecting Request library review

Reading list page showing Add button in top left

To request books for your own research please use the options at Suggest a book

Out of print items

Out of print items

Please be aware that out of print copies in good condition can be difficult to source with resultant delays. If they are Further reading for your course, we will endeavour to obtain at least a single copy of these titles and place the item(s) in the Reference Only Collection. If it is an Essential item or further copies are required we will need to work with you to find an alternative solution.