Purchasing material (for ISS staff)

Purchasing books

The library accepts requests to purchase books for the Institute of Social Science Library collection using the library committee budget.

[Contact] Book administrator
Ext:24910
Email: tosho@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp

１．Requesting purchase from specialist book budget (portion for books selected by academic staff)

The specialist book budget (portion for books selected by academic staff) is allocated annually to ISS professors and associate professors (excluding fixed-term-contract teaching staff) for the purpose of expanding the ISS collection through the purchase of books. As part of the process for selecting books for the ISS Library collection, please choose books from your own field of specialization that you believe should be in the ISS Library.

[Persons eligible] ISS personnel subject to allocation of specialist book budget (portion for books selected by teaching staff)

[Materials eligible] Books not currently in the ISS collection. Magazines are ineligible.

[Ordering method] Please request books using one of the following methods:

1. Send Email to book administrator: tosho@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp
2. Request book purchase from MyOPAC
   https://opac.dl.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/opac/opac_search/?loginMode=disp&lang=1
   Guide to demanding book purchases from web (PDF)
3. Please bring information about the book (catalog, printout of web screen, etc.) to the library.

• If possible, please provide a URL or ISBN so that we can obtain information about the book.
• We purchase hardcover versions for library books. When you over your specialist book budget (portion for books selected by teaching staff) , please submit books recomendation request form.
• Co-op shop storeroom purchases are also possible. Please consult us in advance.

[Remarks]

• If the book is deemed usable, we will inform you when it has been processed for lending. Please pick it up at the library. However, if it is then reserved by another user, we may contact you after the return deadline to ask that you return it. And if you are transferred outside the ISS, please return the book to the library.
• Books that are not delivered within the fiscal year will be paid for out of the following fiscal year’s budget. If you want a book to be purchased from the current fiscal year’s budget, please place your order as early as possible.
• When you over your specialist book budget (portion for books selected by teaching staff) , please submit books recomendation request form.

２．Requesting purchase of expensive books and serial books

You may also request the purchase of expensive materials and series for which no final edition is planned, the cost of which would be difficult to cover out of the specialist book budget (portion for books selected by teaching staff). These are purchased as “expensive books” and “serial books.”

[Persons eligible] In principle, ISS personnel subject to allocation of specialist book budget (portion for books selected by teaching staff)

[Materials eligible]

• Expensive materials and set materials costing over around 100,000 yen, making them difficult to purchase out of the specialist book budget (selected by teaching staff)
• Series for which no final edition is planned but ought to be purchased on an ongoing basis

[Request method] Please complete the form and submit it to the library.

• Request form for selection of books by library committee (expensive books)（Excel format）（PDF format）
• Serial book request form （Excel format）（PDF format）

• Note: You can obtain the request form at the counter.
• Note: If you have catalog or other information, please attach it to your request.

[Remarks]

• Decisions on purchases are made following deliberations by the library committee. As the committee is busy, it may take some time before a decision on whether to purchase is made. In addition, budget constraints mean that the purchase may not be made, so we ask for your understanding.
• If you wish to borrow the book after it has been processed, please let us know at the time you make your request.

３．Requesting recommendation of books

We solicit recommendations for books that should be available for research purposes from the overall perspective of the ISS, as well as books that you need to move forward with your own research. If you know of a good book, even it is a Western one, please do not hesitate to recommend it.

[Persons eligible] In principle, ISS personnel not subject to allocation of specialist book budget (fixed-term-contract teaching and administrative staff, assistant professors, etc.)

[Materials eligible] Books not currently in the ISS collection. Journals are ineligible.

[Request method] Please complete the form and submit it to the library.

• Request form for purchase of selected books by library committee (Recommended book)（Excel format）（PDF format）

• Note: You can obtain the request form at the counter.
• Note: If you have catalog or other information, please attach it to your request.

[Remarks]

• Decisions on purchases are made following deliberations by the library committee. As the committee is busy, it may take some time before a decision on whether to purchase is made. In addition, budget constraints mean that the purchase may not be made, so we ask for your understanding.
• If you wish to borrow the book after it has been processed, please let us know at the time you make your request.

４．Purchases outside library committee budget

The library does not handle procedures for book purchases that do not involve the library committee budget.
Please make purchases from the following budgets yourself:

• Personal research expenses
• Project budgets
• KAKEN grants
• Donations

The payment will be processed by the finance administrator after delivery. If you are unclear about anything with regard to the execution of each budget, such as the documentation required for payment, please consult the finance administrator in advance.
Regarding the placing of orders for books, if you are experiencing any problems (e.g., if you don’t know how to do it or having trouble handling it by yourself), please do not hesitate to ask the ISS Library staff.

Purchasing journals, newspapers, and serial publication materials

Purchase expenses

Journals are generally purchased out of the library committee budget.
Decisions on purchases are made following deliberations by the library committee. The purchase procedure begins as soon as the committee gives the green light.

• Budget constraints mean that the purchase may not be made, so we ask for your understanding.

Even if a purchase is rejected by the library committee, subscription out of the specialist book budget may still be possible, so please consult the materials/journals administrator.

Purchase procedure

Purchase requests can be made all year round.
If you wish to request a purchase, please complete the request form for journals, newspapers, and materials (periodical publication acceptance), and submit it to the library.
You can download the request form or obtain one at the counter.

Request form for journals, newspapers, and materials （Word format）（PDF format）

[Administrator] Materials/journals administrator
Ext: 24917
E-mail: zatsu@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp

• • If there is anything you don’t understand with regard to the purchase of magazines, please consult the materials/journals administrator.

Request for donations (of books you have authored etc.)

Request for donations

If an academic book produced by you (as sole author, joint author, editor, or translator) has been published, please donate one copy at Director's Office within one month of publication.

• Donated books will be received at Director's Office. They are also displayed in the entrance hall and featured in the annual newsletter.
• Director's Office will purchase three copies of the book and donate one each to the General Library, Komaba Library, and Kashiwa Library.
• The ISS Library will purchase one copy of the work for its collection from the library committee budget.
  For a limited period after purchase, it will be displayed in front of the library counter in the area for recent works from ISS personnel.

Jointly-authored books

In the case of a jointly-authored book, please provide the ISS Library (book administrator: tosho@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp) with information such as the title and publisher within one month of publication. As with your own works, such books are purchased out of the library committee budget and displayed in the library in the area for recent works from ISS personnel.

Donation of other books

We also accept donations of books other than ones produced by you. Please bring any books you would like to donate to the library.
However, we may not be able to accept them because we already have them, or for other reasons, so we ask for your understanding.

[Administrator]
Donation of books you have produced → Director's Office
Contact details information about works, donation of books you have not produced → Book administrator