Naseej’s online book acquisition service assists libraries with the acquisition of Arabic books. While English books are generally acquired in an automated fashion year-round, or are supplied directly by publishers or book suppliers, the process of acquiring Arabic books is characterized by being seasonal, as it is mostly restricted to book fairs. Consequently, the acquisition operation is intermittent, with only a limited period of time available for the selection of books.

Furthermore, some potential acquirers may not be able to be present and to participate. Because of the rushed nature of the acquisition process, inaccuracies of pricing and delivery are common. The lack of an automated system for the acquisition of Arabic books further hinders the ability of libraries to meet their requirements online, to track the status of shipments, or to integrate new acquisitions into the library’s bibliographic records.