How to Ask Your Library to Order Our Books

We are often asked how to get our books into local libraries, so I wanted to put together a short guide.

Firstly, it is worth saying that libraries do take reader requests seriously, and a request from a borrower carries real weight. The difficulty is that every library service handles them slightly differently, so it is not always obvious where to start.

1. Have the details ready

Most requests ask for the same information:

•     Title and author

•     Publisher (Joffe Books)

•     ISBN, which is the 13-digit number on the back cover or on the book's retail listing

•     Format: paperback, ebook or audiobook

•     Publication date

The ISBN is the most useful of these, as it tells the library exactly which edition you mean.

2. Look for the request link on your library's website

The wording varies quite a bit. Look for any of the following:

•     “Suggest a Title”, as used by Seattle Public Library

•     “Recommend a Title”, as used by The New York Public Library

•     “Suggest a Purchase” or “Purchase Suggestion”

•     “Request an item not in stock” or “Stock suggestion”, which is the common wording at UK councils

•     “Can't find what you're looking for?”

•     “Recommend for Purchase”

It is usually filed under Books & Media, Using the Library, Help or Services, or within the online catalogue itself.

3. You may need to log in first

Many services, including Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea, only show the request form once you have signed in with your library card number and PIN. If you cannot find a form anywhere on the public site, this is usually why, so please do try logging in and looking again.

4. If there is no form, email or ask in person

Some libraries handle requests directly rather than through a form. The New York Public Library, for example, asks you to contact your local branch. An email, a phone call or a word at the desk all work perfectly well.

5. For ebooks and audiobooks, try the app

If you borrow digitally through Libby, you may be able to flag titles your library does not yet own. Search for the book, and if nothing comes up, turn on the “deep search” filter in the search results to see titles beyond your library's collection. You can then tag the book with the Notify Me smart tag. Your interest is shared anonymously with your library, and if they go on to buy the title you will be notified and can borrow or reserve it straight away. Not every library enables this feature, unfortunately. (Libby's guide)

Please note that the older “Recommend to Library” option in the OverDrive app and on OverDrive library websites is a separate system, and those requests do not appear in Libby.

Please do let us know how you get on. Thank you for supporting our authors. Every library copy reaches readers who might not otherwise have found them, and we really do appreciate it!

Best wishes,

The Joffe Books Team