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When can we fulfill acquisition proposals?

At the TUB, we work every day to provide TUHH researchers and students with literature that meets their needs. Our goal is a coherent media portfolio consisting of larger and smaller license packages (digital journals and open access transformation agreements, e-books, databases), “classic” subscriptions and individual title purchases (e.g. monographs and textbooks).

We are particularly pleased to work on your acquisition proposals, which we treat with the highest priority. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to fulfill all requests. In such cases, we are happy to refer you to alternative procurement channels, such as interlibrary loan. Why can’t we fulfill every request?

When it comes to acquisitions, we follow certain priorities, which we have recently summarized and prepared in our new stock profile. We make our decisions based on this profile and use it to measure the consistency of our acquisitions policy as a whole.

Priority No. 1: Depth of acquisition according to subject-specific fit

We acquire engineering information resources in German and English, in exceptional cases also in other languages. The subject areas we serve correspond to the TUHH schools of study:

  • Civil Engineering (B)
  • Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics (E)
  • Management Sciences and Technology (W)
  • Mechanical Engineering (M)
  • Technology and Innovation in Education (T)
  • Process and Chemical Engineering (V)

In line with the profiles of the institutes at the TUHH, literature from other subject areas is also procured, in some cases mainly of a basic or application-oriented nature. Specific technical literature forms, such as DIN, VDE and IEEE standards, are also available to users or can be obtained for them.

The subject specializations of our Technical University shape the scope and depth of our literature offering. Thus, in subject areas at the information level, we make a narrow selection from general and summarized presentations, while at the intermediate level we acquire in a more differentiated manner and with priority given to current aspects. In subject areas that belong to the TUHH’s designated focal points, we acquire at the research level, i.e. we ensure a broad selection including highly specialized research literature (see illustration).

When assessing the depth of acquisition, we take into account the current student statistics (enrolments by department) and the degree programs offered, in addition to the TUHH’s dedicated research priorities. (Original document only available in German)

Actuality, bilinguality, costs, intensity of use and conditions of use: Other priorities in media acquisition

We pay particular attention to acquiring current literature that reflects the rapidly advancing state of research, especially in technical disciplines. We therefore only purchase titles published more than 20 years ago in exceptional cases. We are aware that some older standard works can still play a significant role in research and teaching today.

The TUHH is an increasingly international university. We procure bilingual media in all subject areas and, depending on the subject culture and profile, we also acquire primarily in English. This applies both to research literature and to the textbook collection.

Digital media (journals, subject databases, e-book packages) play a major role (approx. 85-90%) in the acquisitions business at the TUB. In addition to current research literature, which is particularly available in periodicals (conference proceedings, journals), the licensing of specialist databases such as Web of Science, Scopus or Nautos (DIN standards, VDI guidelines, ISO standards) is a focal point of acquisitions. We also give priority to digital acquisitions when purchasing individual titles, provided it is economically viable (“e first” or “e preferred”). Printed books continue to be in demand, particularly in the area of study literature and in the textbook collection.

With the help of key figures such as lending and access statistics, we check at least once a year whether the licenses we hold are actually in demand. In terms of economic inventory controlling, we always relate the intensity of use to the costs.

When licensing digital media, we pay particular attention to the contractually agreed terms of use. Where possible, we purchase campus licenses with unlimited access for authenticated TUHH members. We consistently reject contracts that provide for data protection concessions such as the tracking of user data.

Possibilities and limits of media purchasing

Overall, we find ourselves in times of heavily burdened acquisition budgets in academic libraries and information facilities. This is not only due to the sharp price increases by publishers and scientific associations, but also to the growing expenditure resulting from the open access transformation of academic publishing. This includes new licensing models, publication support and contributions to alternative open access funding models. In addition, the promotion of open infrastructure for free publication, in particular through the open access repository “TUHH Open Research (TORE)”, is now an indispensable part of our services. The resulting expenses often further restrict the scope for other acquisition tasks.

We are therefore constantly improving the supply of electronic journals, e-books and database access for our users based on cost-benefit considerations. With the help of negotiations and acquisition cooperations (discounts, consortium agreements, etc.), we ensure that contracts are concluded as cost-effectively as possible. In some cases, however, the price expectations of the providers simply exceed the framework available to us.

The TUB’s acquisition profile is evaluated and updated at regular intervals in order to meet the constantly changing demands on the supply of literature. In this way, we ensure that the needs of researchers and students are optimally supported in the long term.

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