Your supervisor is a professional librarian and is responsible for selecting materials to be added to the department library. Shortly after you start, you receive a written request to have several books added. What is the most advisable action?

Your supervisor is a professional librarian and is responsible for selecting materials to be added to the department library. Shortly after you start, you receive a written request to have several books added. What is the most advisable action?

• A. Add the books immediately
• B. Ignore
• C. Ask coworker
• D. Pass The suggestion along to your supervisor.

Answer: (D)

When a request to add books comes in, the action you take should follow the library’s established acquisition process and policy. Materials selection is handled by the supervisor or other designated professional staff who manage collection development, budgeting, and review against the library’s policies. By passing the suggestion along to your supervisor, you ensure the request is evaluated for relevance to the collection, potential gaps it fills, cost, and any duplication with existing holdings. This keeps purchases consistent with the library’s goals and procedures, and it puts the decision in the hands of someone with authority and access to the necessary resources. Adding the books immediately bypasses policy and can lead to inappropriate or redundant purchases, while ignoring the request or simply asking a coworker to handle it prematurely also bypasses the formal review process. The supervisor is the appropriate point of contact to initiate a proper evaluation.

When a request to add books comes in, the action you take should follow the library’s established acquisition process and policy. Materials selection is handled by the supervisor or other designated professional staff who manage collection development, budgeting, and review against the library’s policies. By passing the suggestion along to your supervisor, you ensure the request is evaluated for relevance to the collection, potential gaps it fills, cost, and any duplication with existing holdings. This keeps purchases consistent with the library’s goals and procedures, and it puts the decision in the hands of someone with authority and access to the necessary resources.

Adding the books immediately bypasses policy and can lead to inappropriate or redundant purchases, while ignoring the request or simply asking a coworker to handle it prematurely also bypasses the formal review process. The supervisor is the appropriate point of contact to initiate a proper evaluation.