Why do you ask for course book requests so far in advance?

The procedure for course book ordering is one requiring literally hundreds of hours of data entry, research, follow-up, and physical processing. As well, there are a variety of things that can happen to cause problems with getting the course books here to the store. The sooner the request is submitted, the better chance we have to rectify any problems that arise before classes begin. Another important reason relates to buyback. We set the order deadlines to allow us enough time to process book orders and determine what we will need to buy back for the upcoming term. This allows us to have used books right away, and students have a chance to get some of their money back at the end of the term.

Why was my book ordered so much later than when I originally submitted it?

The order process takes a great deal of time. There are many, many steps to go through before a book is actually ordered from a publisher. It would be terribly inefficient, both time-wise and financially, to place separate orders for each faculty order as they are submitted. We batch the orders and circulate the batches through the used book market, separating out the titles for which we know no used books will be available. This process takes at least a week or two for each batch since we rework the lists multiple time to aggressively try for used copies. Once the used book markets have been exhausted, we then order from the publishers/distributors. These orders are placed both electronically and by phone. This is also when any problems typically arise requiring anywhere from several minutes to several weeks of research and follow-up to try and resolve them. Publishers buy, sell and change titles, go out of business, change location, and merge with one another all the time, and sometimes it is quite difficult to find the answers we need to expedite an order. The other issue that creates a "window" between the submission of a faculty request and the actual placement of the order is that we try to get as many copies of a title as we can from buyback. This is very important to the students we serve and we try to recycle books back into the store as often as possible. When we don't get as many back as we hoped, we must then order the quantities we are short to fill the enrollment. TIP: To help speed up the process, you may submit requests a little at a time if you are unsure of all the books you wish to use for your course by the deadline.

How do I place a book request/online adoptions?

We accept requests in a variety of ways. We send hard copy, triplicate forms to the departments approximately 1 month in advance of the deadline. These can be carried over by hand, faxed, or mailed. If you use on of these forms, please retain the yellow copy for you records. You may also create your own hard copy request if you don't have one of ours. Just be sure to include all the necessary information we ask for on our forms. Other acceptable ways include email and online requests. We do not accept requests over the phone. Should you have an addition or a change to make on a request you have already submitted, you may do that over the phone.

How do I find out if my books are in stock at the Campus Duck Store?

To find out if your books are in stock at the Campus Duck Store, please call our Information Kiosk (541) 346-4331 and speak with a Literary Duck staff member, who can tell you if the books are in stock. You may also EMAIL US.

What do I do if I want to use a course packet?

Course packets are produced in joint effort by the copyright clearance office and Campus Copy. The material to be reproduced must first be cleared by Copyright Clearance. They create the master copy that is used for reproduction at Campus Copy. Campus Copy then delivers the packets to us to sell. We are not responsible for quality, format or quantity of the packets. When packets sell out, we place individual orders for students (called "rainchecks") to Campus Copy, and they print for us what is needed on a daily basis. If you know your enrollment is going to be much larger than the print run, you should notify the Copyright Clearance office. Also, it is helpful if you let the Literary Duck know if you plan to use a course packet so we can be sure to reserve shelf space for it.

Should I let the Literary Duck know if my estimated enrollment changes?

Yes! While we can monitor enrollments using information available on Duck Hunt, it is important that we be notified about enrollment increases as soon as possible so that we may order accordingly.

Should I let the Literary Duck know if I change my mind about requiring a book?

Yes! Sometimes we are able to cancel book orders if we know if will not be needed after all. And, we pull the cancelled books from the shelf so students do not end up buying them unnecessarily and have to hassle with a return. It also helps us determine sales history when making buying decisions for future courses. If we know a book has been cancelled, it will explain why it did not sell!

How do I get desk copies and/or teaching aids?

The only way to obtain desk copies and/or teaching aids is through a publisher representative or the publisher directly. Please refer to the list of AREA PUBLISHER REPRESENTATIVES, or the FACULTY CENTER NETWORK for detailed contact information. Also, most publishers' websites contain information about ordering instructor materials.

How can I find out what books other schools are using?

The FACULTY CENTER NETWORK is an excellent tool for finding out what schools are using which texts. FCN categorizes by subject and type of school.

If I know course books I'm using a year in advance, can I place my book requests now?

Absolutely! We accept book requests as far in advance as you are realistically able to order. For example, we currently have many faculty that teach the same class each term, using the same books, so they submit a "standing" request for the whole year. This would also work for continuation classes, or even classes that are taught once a year but consistently use the same material.

With a year-long continuation class, do I need a new request each term?

Yes, because all continuation classes do not necessarily use the exact same material each term. Also, instructors change and need to be updated. Please see the Q & A above for more information about "standing requests."

How do I utilize the UO Library online E-Reserves program?

In order to utilize the UO Library E-Reserves program, you must complete and turn in the ELECTRONIC RESERVE REQUEST LIST. Simple submit the web address for online articles, provide electronic articles via disk or email and provide hard copies of any articles you would like to include in your E-Reserve. Include source citations for each article. When you've completed the Request List, turn it into either the Knight Library or the Architecture and Arts Library for processing. The materials you submit to E-Reserves must comply with the University Libraries' Copyright Guidelines, which are different than those required for course packets.