Library and Information Resources

Standard 5.A Purpose and Scope

The primary purpose for library and information resources is to support teaching, learning, and, if applicable, research in ways consistent with, and supportive of, the institution’s mission and goals. Adequate library and information resources and services, at the appropriate level for degrees offered, are available to support the intellectual, cultural, and technical development of students enrolled in courses and programs wherever located and however delivered.

5.A.1

The institution’s information resources and services include sufficient holdings, equipment, and personnel in all of its libraries, instructional media and production centers, computer centers, networks, telecommunication facilities, and other repositories of information to accomplish the institution’s mission and goals.

5.A.2 

The institution’s core collection and related information resources are sufficient to support the curriculum.

5.A.3

Information resources and services are determined by the nature of the institution’s educational programs and the locations where programs are offered.

Standard 5.B – I

Information Resources and Services

Information resources and services are sufficient in quality, depth, diversity, and currency to support the institution’s curricular offerings.

5.B.1

Equipment and materials are selected, acquired, organized, and maintained to support the educational program.

5.B.2

Library and information resources and services contribute to developing the ability of students, faculty, and staff to use the resources independently and effectively.

5.B.3

Policies, regulations, and procedures for systematic development and management of information resources, in all formats, are documented, updated, and made available to the institution’s constituents.

5.B.4

Opportunities are provided for faculty, staff, and students to participate in the planning and development of the library and information resources and services.

5.B.5

Computing and communications services are used to extend the boundaries in obtaining information and data from other sources, including regional, national, and international networks.

Standard 5.C – Facilities and Access

The institution provides adequate facilities for library and information resources, equipment, and personnel. These resources, including collections, are readily available for use by the institution’s students, faculty, and staff on the primary campus and where required off-campus.

5.C.1

Library and information resources are readily accessible to all students and faculty. These resources and services are sufficient in quality, level, breadth, quantity, and currency to meet the requirements of the educational program.

5.C.2

In cases of cooperative arrangements with other library and information resources, formal documented agreements are established. These cooperative relationships and externally provided information sources complement rather than substitute for the institution’s own adequate and accessible core collection and services.

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Standard 5.D – Personnel and Management

Personnel are adequate in number and in areas of expertise to provide services in the development and use of library and information resources.

5.D.1

The institution employs a sufficient number of library and information resources staff to provide assistance to users of the library and to students at other learning resources sites.

5.D.2

Library and information resources staff include qualified professional and technical support staff, with required specific competencies, whose responsibilities are clearly defined.

5.D.3

The institution provides opportunities for professional growth for library and information resources professional staff.

5.D.4

Library and information resources and services are organized to support the accomplishment of institutional mission and goals. Organizational arrangements recognize the need for service linkage among complementary resource bases (e.g., libraries, computing facilities, instructional media and telecommunication centers).

5.D.5

The institution consults library and information resources staff in curriculum development.

5.D.6 

The institution provides sufficient financial support for library and information resources and services, and for their maintenance and security.

Standard 5.E – Planning and Evaluation

Library and information resources planning activities support teaching and learning functions by facilitating the research and scholarship of students and faculty. Related evaluation processes regularly assess the quality, accessibility, and use of libraries and other information resource repositories and their services to determine the level of effectiveness in support of the educational program.

5.E.1

The institution has a planning process that involves users, library and information resource staff, faculty, and administrators.

5.E.2

The institution, in its planning, recognizes the need for management and technical linkages among information resource bases (e.g., libraries, instructional computing, media production and distribution centers, and telecommunications networks).

5.E.3

The institution regularly and systematically evaluates the quality, adequacy, and utilization of its library and information resources and services, including those provided through cooperative arrangements, and at all locations where courses, programs, or degrees are offered. The institution uses the results of the evaluations to improve the effectiveness of these resources.

Supporting Documentation for Standard Five

Required Exhibits:

1. Printed materials that describe for students the hours and services of learning resources facilities such as libraries, computer labs, and audio-visual facilities.

2. Policies, regulations, and procedures for the development and management of library and information resources, including collection development and weeding.

3. Statistics on use of library and other learning resources.

4. Statistics on library collection and inventory of other learning resources.

5. Assessment measures utilized to determine the adequacy of facilities for the goals of the library and information resources and services.

6. Assessment measures to determine the adequacy of holdings, information resources and services to support the educational programs both on and off campus.

7. Data regarding number and assignments of library staff.

8. Chart showing the organizational arrangements for managing libraries and other information resources (e.g. computing facilities, instructional media, and telecommunication centers).

9. Comprehensive budget(s) for library and information resources.

10. Vitae of professional library staff.

11. Formal, written agreements with other libraries.

12. Computer usage statistics related to the retrieval of library resources.

13. Printed information describing user services provided by the computing facility.

14. Studies or documents describing the evaluation of library and information resources.

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