DBU Library - Purchasing Guidelines


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Purchasing Guidelines

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To best serve library patrons and to conserve library resources, the
Acquisitions Department uses the following guidelines in purchasing
resources.

The Library purchases resources through a jobber who will:
- Search for an item
- Prebind paperbacks
- Give discounts that publishers may not give.

This conserves the time and resources of the Acquisitions Department.
Occasionally, however, the ordering process may require a significant

delay before the item can be acquired.

Whenever possible, hardback books are purchased, because
paperback books are generally good for only six circulations
before requiring repair or discard.
If a paperback book is the only copy available, the Library prefers
to purchase it through a jobber who can prebind it with a hardcover
to prolong the usage period. (Sending a paperback book to a bindery
adds additional time to the ordering process)
If an item is unavailable through a jobber, it is purchased directly
from another source, such as the publisher or an out-of-print vendor. Determining that the item is not available through the jobber and that
it must be ordered through a secondary source adds additional time
to the ordering process.

PURCHASING SCHEDULE

To ensure that items ordered for a specific fiscal year are paid for in the same fiscal year, the library has determined a schedule for receiving orders from the library liaison. This annual schedule follows this plan:

October 31: 75% of the allotted budget must be encumbered
December 31: another 15% must be encumbered
February 16: last 10% must be encumbered

If the Liaison has not submitted the required percentage by the above annual due dates, the Library will place orders equal to the unencumbered amount for that due date.

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For more information, questions, or comments regarding Purchasing policies, please contact: