If it is urgently required for research and teaching, the University Library offers Paderborn University lecturers the opportunity to set up a reference collection for information media that are constantly required (§10 User Regulations and §4.5 Acquisition Guidelines).

What do you have to do and what are the rules?

• The institution of a reference collection is based on an informal written application by the university lecturers to the head of the Department of Use & Services.
• The acquisition of information media takes place via the responsible subject librarian.
• The size of a reference collection is limited to 100 volumes (not titles).
• As a rule, only literature acquired in addition to the regular collection can be included in a reference collection. If a copy from the existing collection is to be borrowed into a reference collection, the approval of the responsible subject librarian is required. Reference works in loose-leaf format are generally permitted, even with regular supplementary deliveries; journals are generally excluded.
• The media in a reference collection must always remain accessible for use at the university. If the medium is a unique collection of the University Library, the University Library has the right to provide information about the reference collection in which the medium is located. The enquiring user must then be granted access at short notice.
• The University Library must be informed immediately in the event of the loss of media in reference collections. The owner of the reference collection is liable for any loss.
• The University Library has the right to carry out an inspection of the reference collections and to reclaim media if this is necessary for library reasons.
• Upon termination of employment of the reference collection holder, the reference collection is cancelled and all media must be returned.

An alternative: direct purchase option

If information media are to be acquired for research and teaching that are not part of the library collection (e.g. (individual) standards or test materials) or are to be regarded as so-called consumables (e.g. if information media are to be used as working materials by several people in a group or as part of projects in school lessons), it is possible for university lecturers to purchase these from their own funds as a so-called direct purchase(§ 1.2 and 1.3 Acquisition guidelines).

What do you have to do for this and what are the rules?: A university lecturer submits an"Application for the direct purchase of information media" to the University Library using forms. The application is processed by the University Library and sent back to the applicant by e-mail.

Following a favourable response from the University Library, the applicant procures the information media. The applicant submits the statement from the University Library together with the order, invoice, receipts, etc. to Department 1.1 Central Financial Accounting of the University Administration for invoicing via a chair's own AO.

Without a positive statement from the University Library, no bookings for information media procured by direct purchase will be made by the Central Financial Accounting Department 1.1.

Do you have any further questions?

The staff of the Local Loans Department will be happy to provide you with information on the subject of reference collections.

If you have any questions about direct purchases, please contact the deputy head of the Acquisitions and Collection Development Department, Ms Sylvia Sobiech.