A member of the library faculty staff said it is frustrating for students to be all chasing the same journal at the same time. Lecturers said that there has been little impact on the way they work. The lecturers appreciate the tight timescales required, but they tend to gather material for reading lists during the summer vacation. This is when they have the time to visit the library and do research when they find new material. They could submit a reading list much earlier, but it is likely to have changed by the time the semester starts.
Some items do remain on reading lists from year to year.
The items that are recommended by lecturers tend to be in high demand with students. It is difficult to predict demand when readings are not recommended or are not tied to a particular lecture or assignment. It all depends on the particular module and how it is taught. It also depends on what students choose to study for assignments or for presentations. Some items may be in demand with a particular group of students at a particular time in the semester.