ABOUT
The UConn Library showcases UConn-produced research by systematically collecting faculty-authored books. Anne Langley, Dean of Libraries, describes the value and purpose of this program:
The enormity of research produced here at UConn is astounding, and we are in the unique position to cross disciplines and celebrate faculty work while strengthening our collections.
We purchase a wide range of materials in support of faculty and students on each campuses and for all programs at UConn, including UConn Health and Law. Authors include current full-time (tenured, tenure-track, visiting, or long-term appointment) or emeriti UConn faculty. Books must have been published while the authors were affiliated with UConn. To learn more about our purchase criteria, please visit our FAQ section below.
New faculty-authored books are displayed on the Plaza Level of the Homer Babbidge Library for several months (unless borrowed or on course reserve) and then integrated with the other books in our research collections. A rotating selection of titles is featured on the marketing screens throughout our libraries and highlighted on our website and social media.
To recommend your book for purchase, please submit this web form and select “yes” for the prompt: “This book has been authored, co-authored, or edited by a faculty member or researcher currently affiliated with UConn.”
FAQ
What books do we purchase?
These types of books will be purchased on a routine basis:
- Books authored or coauthored by full-time UConn faculty and published 2018 onward
- Books edited or coedited by full-time UConn faculty and published 2018 onward
- Books translated by full-time UConn faculty and published 2018 onward
These books will be considered for purchase to the extent that funding permits:
- Books authored, edited, or translated by UConn students, part-time faculty, and staff
What books are not routinely purchased?
We buy books in accordance with the UConn Library’s Collection Development Policy. Within the scope of this Faculty-Authored Books program, we generally do not purchase the following works*:
- Books or multivolume sets costing more than $250
- Books with only chapters contributed by UConn faculty
- Encyclopedias and other reference books
- Textbooks and conference proceedings
- Self-published books
- New editions of books already owned by the library
- Books unrelated to the fulfillment of your academic responsibilities at UConn
- Works available only in formats unsupported by the UConn Library
* Library staff will evaluate potential exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
My book was published prior to 2018. Will you purchase it anyway?
Due to limited funding, we cannot purchase books retroactively. However, we encourage you to consider donating a copy of your book to the Library.
Do you purchase only print books?
Print is our default format for faculty-authored books. We will attempt to purchase ebooks if we anticipate high demand or if the book is available only in electronic format.
How can I request my book be purchased?
Please use the Library General Search to check if your book is already part of the library collection. If it is not already in the collection, please submit a purchase request. We do our best to identify and acquire all faculty-authored books in scope, but we are bound to miss a few. We encourage you to bring them to our attention by submitting a purchase request.
May I donate a copy of my book to the UConn Library?
Yes, please! We accept donations in accordance with our gifts policy.
Do you purchase publications other than books?
Yes! If you have created non-book media, such as films or music, in fulfillment of your academic responsibilities, we purchase those publications on a case-by-case basis. We encourage you to bring those publications to our attention.
We do not purchase individual articles or subscribe to journals on the basis of UConn editorship or authorship; however, we encourage you to make your scholarly articles and book chapters freely available on OpenCommons@UConn, subject to copyright law and publisher embargoes.
Will my book, once purchased by the Library, be kept indefinitely?
We generally will not remove faculty books from circulation. Should we learn that a previously acquired faculty-authored book is missing from the collection, we will attempt to acquire a replacement copy, subject to the cost and other criteria described above.