Suggest for Purchase
New Westminster Public Library welcomes suggestions for additions to our collection. To suggest an item, please fill out the form on this page.
Before making a suggestion, be sure to check our catalogue to ensure that we do not already offer the item.
Please note that we do not purchase all recommended titles. To learn how we make our purchasing decisions, please see below.
Purchasing Decisions
How do we decide which books to buy?
The library purchases books written by popular and bestselling authors. For example, we will automatically order titles that appear on bestseller lists or are reviewed in the national media. You likely do not need to suggest bestselling titles.
Other titles are chosen based on anticipated interest, availability from our vendors, local relevance, and to ensure subject areas are well-represented. Please feel free to suggest titles you cannot find in our collection.
How do we decide which movies to buy?
In general, the library buys movies on DVD that have had box-office success.
In addition, we also purchase movies on DVD that received critical acclaim but may have had a limited theatrical release. These movies are harder to identify so we encourage you to bring any of them to our attention.
How do we decide which TV series to buy?
The library buys a selection of TV series on DVD but gives priority to those that are no longer available for viewing on television.
How do we decide which documentaries to buy?
The library buys a selection of documentary and informational DVDs and we encourage you to bring these types of titles to our attention.
What if a series we offer is incomplete?
Please feel free to suggest already-published titles to complete or fill gaps in a series. When deciding whether to purchase a series title, we consider:
- Whether there is established and ongoing demand for the series;
- Whether the remaining titles of the series are available for purchase.
Are there items we will not order?
The library typically does not purchase titles older than three years.
Nor does the library consider suggestions for out-of-print titles sold by antiquarian or second-hand retailers.
The library typically does not purchase text books.
Older, specialized, or out-of-print items may be available to borrow from another library. Request the item you seek through our Interlibrary Loan service.