Run a Faculty Desk Copy and Sample Request Queue

Separate a desk copy from a student purchase

A desk copy is an instructor review or teaching copy supplied under a publisher's policy. It is not a student textbook, a library reserve, or a personal gift. The queue should label the request type before anyone contacts a publisher.

Record the course, the term, the instructor, and whether the book is required, recommended, or under consideration. A sample for a course that may never run follows a different path from a desk copy for an adopted text.

Do not let a request for a personal professional book travel through the same queue as a required course text. Mixing the two makes the adoption record unreliable and can create a conflict-of-interest question.

Verify the adoption before ordering

Ask for the adoption record or the bookstore order that shows the text is assigned. A publisher may require an adoption reference before it sends an instructor copy.

Check the edition and ISBN against the current syllabus. An instructor who is still deciding between editions should request a sample, not a desk copy for a text the bookstore has not ordered.

If the course is new, record the approval status of the course and the expected section count. A desk copy for a course that has not been approved may be premature.

See how the related specialist service can support this operating lane while your team retains accountable decisions.

Record publisher terms and limits

Publishers set their own limits on instructor copies, digital access, and renewal. Record the policy version, the number requested, and whether the publisher requires payment for shipping or for an access code.

Keep the terms with the request so a later question does not depend on a sales representative's memory. If the publisher changes the rule mid-term, record the date and the affected requests.

Do not accept a personal discount or a free upgrade that is offered only to the person placing the order. Route any unusual offer to the department or the procurement owner.

Track shipment and receipt

Record the order date, the publisher reference, the expected delivery date, and the tracking number. A request that was sent is not a request that was fulfilled.

Confirm receipt with the instructor and note the condition of the item. If a digital code arrives by email, record that it was delivered without copying the code into the shared queue.

For a late shipment, contact the publisher before ordering a second copy. Duplicate orders can create a return problem and confuse the adoption record.

Continue with this related education workflow guide.

Handle digital access and expiry

Digital instructor access often expires or is tied to a specific course shell. Record the platform, the activation date, the expiry, and the instructor account that received access.

Do not share an instructor access code with students or with a colleague who is not listed on the adoption. A code that is reused may lock the authorized instructor out.

Before the term ends, confirm whether the access must be renewed or transferred. A gap between terms can leave an instructor without the materials for a course that is already underway.

Reconcile requests against the bookstore order

Compare the desk copy list to the bookstore adoption file. A text that the bookstore has not ordered should not appear as a confirmed course material.

Flag mismatches in ISBN, edition, or title. A desk copy for the right title but the wrong edition can lead an instructor to teach from a text students cannot buy.

Send the comparison to the bookstore and the department before the order deadline. The queue can surface a problem, but the adoption owner decides which text is official.

Flag gifts and conflicts of interest

A free instructor copy is a normal publisher practice, but a gift, a paid consultation, or a trip connected to a textbook decision may need disclosure under institutional policy.

Record the publisher contact and the nature of any benefit beyond the review copy. Do not decide whether disclosure is required; route the question to the policy owner.

Keep the record factual and separate from the adoption recommendation. The purpose is transparency, not an accusation.

Close the term with a use record

At the end of the term, record which desk copies were used, which were passed to the library, and which were returned or discarded under the publisher's terms.

Do not sell or donate an instructor copy if the publisher's terms prohibit it. Ask the publisher or the library about the permitted disposition.

Review the queue for repeat requests, unused copies, and late shipments. A short closeout note helps the next term start with accurate expectations.

Keep the queue small and visible

Use one queue with a status for each request: received, adoption verified, ordered, shipped, received, and closed. A shared inbox with no status is not a queue.

Limit access to the people who place orders and answer instructor questions. The queue contains names, addresses, and access details that should not be open to the whole institution.

Publish a short request guide so instructors know what evidence to provide. Clear intake reduces the back-and-forth that consumes most of the queue's time.

Common questions