Request a purchase

  1. Home
  2. Borrowing & requesting

UQ staff and students can suggest additions to the Library collection for published resources which are not already available.

We will consider your request for purchase based on our Collection Management Policy. Resources requested must support research, teaching or learning at the University. Online format is preferred, and for space requirements, one copy will be held in the collection if in physical format.

For new ongoing journal subscriptions: Contact us via librarians@library.uq.edu.au

Check if we have the resource and submit a purchase request

You can use Library Search or our Citation Finder to check if we already provide access, and submit a purchase request if not. 

In Library Search

  1. Use Library Search to search for the resource 
  2. Enable the Include results not available online toggle (Information about this option) 
  3. If you find the resource marked as Check availability, click to open the record
  4. If not already logged in, log in now to display more options under Get It
  5. Select Request purchase to open an embedded form
    • Note: If a resource is not eligible to be requested via this form, the option will not appear
  6. Check prefilled information, add in any missing details, and select Submit
  7. The form will update to indicate Request submitted successfully

There is no confirmation email for initial submission, but you can check on your request via Library account > Requests, and we will email you within seven days.

We have also included a link to Citation Finder in the message which displays in Library Search when your search does not return any results.  This may be a useful pathway when your search terms do not match records within Library Search. 

Via Citation Finder 

  1. Go to Citation Finder
  2. Choose the Book radio button
  3. Enter the resource details and select Submit
  4. A query will be performed against our available resources, and depending on the results, you may be redirected to a source platform providing online access, our physical items will be listed, or a brief record page will display
  5. If not already logged in, log in now to display more options under Get It
  6. Select Request purchase to open an embedded form 
    • Note: If a resource is not eligible to be requested via this form, the option will not appear
  7. Check prefilled information, add in any missing details, and select Submit
  8. The form will update to indicate Request submitted successfully

There is no confirmation email for initial submission, but you can check on your request via Library account > Requests, and we will email you within seven days.

If wanting to request purchase of an alternate format for a resource already available, such as an online eBook when we currently have a physical copy, select Submit without entering any resource details, and then Request Purchase to enter the complete information in the blank embedded form.

After submitting a purchase request

  • We will email you within seven days and you can check the progress of your request via Library account > Requests
  • Note: If approved, physical items may take from a few days to several months to arrive, depending on their availability

Other ways to request

  • Borrow the item from another library via request document delivery.
  • Requests for new ongoing journal subscriptions: contact us via librarians@library.uq.edu.au