Welcome to the Acquisitions & Collection Development Unit
The Acquisitions and Collections Development Department of the Richard McMillan Library acquires and maintains information resources and other academic materials necessary to advance scholarship and research activities of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
What we do
The Acquisitions Department is responsible for acquiring materials in all formats, both physical and electronic, for the Richard McMillan Library, our mandate includes:
- Ordering materials from information vendors
- Receiving and accessioning delivered resources
- Following up to ensure that orders are fulfilled in a timely manner
- Facilitating payments of invoices for all library materials acquired.
- Managing incoming gifts (information resources)
- Assessing sources of supply, vendor performance, and associated services
- Maintaining the highest ethical standards and excellent customer service with our clients, vendors, and service providers
Suggestions for Purchase
The majority of information resources purchased for the library are selected by staff in academic departments. The Acquisitions Department each year writes to all departments of the Institute to request titles they intend to use for the following academic year. The Department compiles the suggested lists and forwards them to the Procurement Department for onward action to be taken.
The Acquisitions Librarian also selects some materials – on general subjects or to fill gaps in our collections.
Placing the order & how long it takes to come
On receipt of a purchase request from students, staff etc., we will:
- Check that the suggested item is not already in stock
- Check that it is available
- place the order with one of our suppliers/vendors
The Acquisitions Department does not have control over how long it will take for an information item to arrive in the Library – even in cases where we explicitly tell our suppliers it is urgent. Items can be delayed, for example, because they are not yet published or are out of stock. The Department, however, makes efforts to get the item within a reasonable amount of time.