How can I request that the library purchase a book? How do I know if my suggestion will be purchased?

Answer

We are happy to take suggestions for new purchases!

Please fill out our Suggest a Purchase form to formally make a suggestion for print materials. There is no guarantee that we will be able to get the item that you have recommended. We are not able to notify patrons on the status of their purchase suggestions, so please check back. The normal turnaround time for items to be purchased and added to the collection is roughly 6-8 weeks.

You can also set up Notify Me tags in Libby to be notified when the library adds a title to its Libby collection.

When searching a library in Libby, you may discover titles that aren't in their collection. These titles will have a Notify Me button (instead of Borrow or Place Hold). Selecting Notify Me sets up a smart tag in Libby that will alert you if one of your libraries purchases the title at a later date.

Here's how it works in the app:

  1. Search for a specific title, author, or series.
    Running an example search at Libby Academy Public Library for author S.A. Crosby
  2. If you see the title you're interested in, and it has a Notify Me button, skip to step 5.

    If you don't see the title you're looking for in the search results:
    • If there are fewer than 100 results, tap Open Filter Dialog button and continue to step 3.
      Search results with 4 results, showing titles by the author, but not the desired title
    • If there are more than 100 results, try a more specific search (like the book's full title and the author's name).
      Note: Some books have never been published digitally, and some digital titles may not be available for purchase by your library.
  3. Near the bottom of the panel with filter options, select deep search. This filter adds titles that match your search query and are not in your library's catalog to your search results.
  4. Tap Show Titles.
    Note: If any titles are offered by your other saved libraries, you'll see the option to borrow or place them on hold right away.
  5. Tap Notify Me. The first time you tap this button, you'll be walked through a quick tutorial to set up a Notify Me smart tag (or prompted to use one you've already set up).
  6. In the tutorial, select Manage Notifications, then select a notification option for Notify Me:Title.

If the Public Library purchases the title, you'll be notified and have the option to borrow or place the title on hold (depending on its availability).

Example push notification for the title Color Me In by Natasha Diaz. The notification reads: Libby Academy Public Library now offers this title.

  • Last Updated Jun 20, 2023
  • Views 1122
  • Answered By Main Reference Library

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Comments (2)

  1. Instructions for saved search do not appear to work anymore.
    by John Q on Dec 19, 2021
  2. I miss the Overdrive feature that would automatically put you in the hold queue when recommending a title. I have missed every new title added since things were switched over to Libby. Please consider adding this feature CABQ or Libby. Thank you!
    by Mama J on Aug 21, 2023