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Who are Blackwell's?
Blackwell's was founded in 1879, in Oxford. From original premises measuring just twelve feet square, the business grew to become the UK's largest academic and professional bookseller. These days, Blackwell's is widely acknowledged as a market leader in library book supply and information provision, as well as maintaining its worldwide reputation as a book retailer and publisher. Blackwell's still remains a family owned business, rich in tradition yet also highly attuned to the future.
What is Blackwell's Reading Lists online about?
It's a project to collect reading lists from each of the 176 universities and Higher Educational Institutes in the UK. It was launched in May 2000 and is operated from the headquarters of Blackwell Ltd. in Oxford.
Why are you collecting this information?
It's something we've always done. Every summer our bookshop staff collect this information from their local universities and colleges, so they know which books (and in what numbers) students will be buying the following year. A lot of time is devoted, both by the bookshop and university staff, to producing this information in paper format. Until now the process has always started from scratch each year. However, Blackwell's Reading Lists online will enable us to collect the information in an electronic format, saving time and increasing our efficiency. It will also mean that, in subsequent years, existing reading lists can simply be amended or added to.
How will you use the information?
The information will be used on both a local and a national level, for stock control within Blackwell's Bookshops. It will also be used on Blackwell's new student website, allowing students to view their course reading lists online and giving them the option of buying both new and second-hand textbooks. Finally, the information will be supplied to your university or college library - a task most teaching staff have to carry out every year anyway.
What will you do with my reading list details?
We will:
Why do I have to register?
We ask you to do this so that we can check the validity of the information you supply. As we are using the information to control stock levels, we need to be certain that it's correct. We will also be allowing your students to view the information as an aid to buying textbooks, so we feel sure that you will also want these checks in place. Asking users to register allows us to confirm, each time they use Blackwell's Reading Lists online, that they are who they say they are. Although we know most users will be legitimate and honest, it is important that everyone's identity is verified. Your university email address enables us to check that users are who they claim to be - and because your name is assigned to your reading list, you will be copied in on every amendment, if any, made to that list during the year.
Who else can change my reading list details?
Any registered user from within your Faculty/Department will be able to amend the list. This allows for clerical staff to make amendments on your behalf. Copying these amendments to you acts as a second 'safety net' for the list's accuracy.
What will you do with my personal details?
We will not do anything with these details, apart from use them to verify you as a Registered User and provide you with copies of your reading list. Your details will not be sold or passed to a third party, nor will they be used for any other purposes within the Blackwell Group.
How do I register?
Just click on the register button and supply us with your details.
What are the benefits for me?
Currently you are asked every year, by your local bookshop and by your college or university library, to provide you reading list information for all of your courses and modules. Often they will ask you to provide the same information the following year, even if the list hasn't changed. They probably also expect you to keep them up to date with amendments throughout the year. By using Blackwell's Reading Lists online to create and amend your reading list you can save time, supplying the information to all who need it in one go. You also have the facility to update any lists you submitted the previous year. You may also want to supply this information to other local bookshops - as we are sending an electronic version of your reading list back to you, this is very easy for you to do.
What are the benefits to my students?
Your students rely on reading list information being up to date. Both the library and the local bookshop are stocked on the strength of your recommendations. Blackwell's new student website will offer students discounted new and second-hand books, thus saving them money. It will also enable them to view your reading list in advance of taking your course - giving them an idea of the sort of studying that's involved.
What does a reading list look like?
Click here to see an example reading list.
Why do you need to know student numbers?
An approximation of how many students will be on the course helps us to gauge bookshop stock numbers - it will also benefit your library in the same way.
What is the Reading Status?
This tells both us and your students how strongly you recommend a title. We know from experience that your recommendation has a big impact on the demand for a title. More information on the Reading Status definitions can be found at the title submission stage.
How can my students find the reading list information?
On Blackwell's Online Bookshop website www.blackwell.co.uk which offers the textbooks for your course. Students can find your reading list simply by searching under faculty and module.
How do I personalise my reading list?
There are several ways in which you may like to personalise your reading list. You could add a course message, such as the regular location and time, highlight specific chapters of a book, or suggest particular journals to read. You might even like to add other website links (we will provide 'click-throughs' for these). Or you might just like to say something about yourself! The space is there to be used however you think best.
How do I update my list?
Visit the site, log on and call up your list. You can then make as many amendments as you wish - anything from changing course numbers to adding new titles, as often as you like. It benefits everyone concerned to have up to date information. We will supply you with a copy of the list every time it's updated.
What is an ISBN?
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is an identification number for books, and it's ten digits long (although sometimes the tenth is an X) Every title, and every edition and binding of a title, has a different ISBN - so it is the best way of pinpointing the correct book (and edition and binding) you want. The ISBN can be found on the back cover above the bar code, and on the verso of the title page. Sometimes an ISBN is divided with dashes between the numbers - however, you don't need to include these when typing an ISBN.
What if I cannot find one of the titles on my reading list?
We pride ourselves on having the very best and latest data; however, we also recognise that there will be titles which exist (particularly localised ones) but do not appear in our database. If you find that your book doesn't appear, please contact us at readinglists@blackwell.co.uk and we will add it to our database.
Please note! The reading list database is currently for books only and cannot hold details of journal volumes, although you can enter these through the comments field.
What if one of my titles is Out of Print?
Books can go out of print (meaning they are no longer available for sale from the publisher) almost without notice. Sometimes the hardback will be made out of print (OP) whilst the paperback remains in print (and vice versa). If you select a book for your reading list and are told that it is out of print, this will generally mean that students won't be able buy it. Of course, the library may still have the older edition(s), but in small numbers. A newer edition may be available (or forthcoming) but the pagination might be different. This may mean that your course notes are no longer aligned with the latest edition of the textbook. You can, of course, still include an out of print textbook on your reading list, but you will be limiting your students' access to course material. If you can find a newer edition to select, this will benefit everyone. If you can't, let us know and we'll try to discover whether or not a new edition exists or is forthcoming.