Scope: Some items requested by patrons though interlibrary loan are purchased through Amazon instead of obtaining through interlibrary loan or Borrow Direct. Interlibrary Services staff use the following criteria to determine such purchases.
Contact: Caitlin Finlay
Unit: Interlibrary Services
Date last reviewed: 10/03/2016
Date of next review: October 2017
A. Criteria
- Not already owned by Cornell, on order in the OPAC, or shipped in Oasis.
- Single volume monographs suitable for the library collection.
- DVDs suitable for the library collection.
- No: conferences, dissertations, working papers, tech reports, textbooks, solutions manuals, lab manuals, workbooks, self-help, audiobooks, VHS.
- English language titles only.
- Publication date within the last 5 years.
- Paperback preferred.
- Cost on Amazon is under $150.00
- Preferred ship date within 7 days or less.
B. Workflow
- When a decision is made to purchase the book, ILS staff will proceed with the purchase through Amazon, using Amazon's standard shipping rate. The book will be paid for with an LTS corporate account.
- In ILLiad, the word “amazon” should be typed into the lending string, the LC call number should be pasted in the appropriate place and a final library location assigned. ILS staff should send an e-mail to LTS ordering staff, where a Voyager record will be created with the status "on order" as described in LTS Procedure #121.
- When the book arrives, it should be treated like a any other interlibrary loan item. The patron will be given 4 weeks to use the item, with no renewals. The book will be stamped with a Cornell stamp, and the shipping slip sent to LTS. When the patron returns the book ILS staff will deliver it to LTS, where a location flyer will be inserted. It will then be catalogued and added to the collection.