August 2009 Archives

Kindly pass this message along to Denise M. Branch, Assistant Head, Acquisitions. The Sundays' edition of the Washington Post for the last four weeks never arrived. Would you kindly look into the reason that the Washington Posts (Sundays' edition) is not reaching the wooden rack or the shelf. Thanks.

From: a graduate student

Denise M Branch, Assistant Head of Acquisitions and Serials Librarian responds...

The supplier failed to deliver the Washington Post on a few occasions. Acquisitions contacted the supplier, and the problem has been resolved. The papers should now be available. We will monitor the receipt of this newspaper for the next several weeks to ensure that it is being consistently supplied to us. Thank you for bringing the matter to our attention.

I am trying to locate a textbook I can use while I am waiting for the one I ordered to arrive. I think it would be SUPER helpful if the libraries had textbooks that students could use AT the library (so a student doesn't check it out for weeks)for situations like this or if a student couldn't afford textbooks, etc. I saw the library carries my Immunobiology book but it is checked out until NOVEMBER! That is almost the entire semester which is completely unhelpful to other students. I am specifically looking for a graduate school class textbook: Microbiology 7th edition Prescott, Harley and Klein

From: a graduate student

Lynne Turman, Head Tompkins-McCaw Library Collections replies...

VCU Libraries has a long-standing policy of not purchasing course textbooks. Course textbooks change from year to year and become outdated quickly. Sometimes a text that has been purchased for the Libraries collection is later adopted as a course textbook. If one student checks out this book, the remainder of the students in the course will not have access. VCU Libraries provides Course Reserve Services to help with this problem. Faculty can request that the VCU Libraries copy of a text be placed on Reserve and can choose the time period for each loan - from 2 hours to 7 days. Instructor or department owned textbooks can also be placed on Reserve. More information on Course Reserve Services is available on the web at http://www.library.vcu.edu/reserves/