Library Policy

POLICIES FOR
THE LIBRARY/LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER

The Kenneth W. Schuler Learning Resource Center (LRC) is an integral part of your educational process.  Our goal is to provide you with the information you will need to successfully complete your technical training program and receive your degree. We have also made a commitment to maintain substantial collections of supplemental and recreational materials for your use.

The library including the computer lab is for the use of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Alumni must have paid their alumni dues, signed a computer use agreement and requested a computer log on.  The library is not open to the children or dependents of the above groups.  Additionally the library is not open to the general public.

Circulation Policy

  • Books & Periodicals from the general collection circulate for - 3 WEEKS.
  • Entertainment Video (DVDs & VHS) circulate for – 3 DAYS
  • Educational/Technical Media (ETM) or Reserve Materials usually circulate for – 4 HOURS
    (YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR STEVENS’ ID)

ID Card Policy

The materials in the LRC are acquired for the use of Steven’s students, faculty, alumni and staff. The collection is open to any member of the Stevens community holding a valid Stevens Photo ID card. This ID card must be presented at the circulation desk for all library transactions.

To protect our patrons, the library cannot accept Steven's College IDs that are broken, taped or do not clearly show the name, picture, and ID number.

Library Behavior Policy

To maintain an atmosphere conducive to study and other academic pursuits the noise level in all areas of the library must be kept to a minimum. 

  • Conversations should be kept at a low level.  Headphones are required when listening to music or other sound files; this includes not only the library computers but personal computers, media devices, etc.  No one else should be able to hear the music or sound files to which you are listening. 
  • Students should be respectful and cooperative with library staff at all times.
  • No tobacco products are allowed in the Library at any time or in any form.
  • While in the library, cell phones should be turned off or ringers turned to mute or vibrate only.  Please go outside to answer or make a cell phone call.
  • No sports equipment is allowed in the library at anytime. This includes basketballs, cleats, skateboards etc.

Printing Policy

There are two black and white printers in the computer lab for student use.  At the present time there is no charge for black and white printing. The rules and regulations for black & white printing are:

  1. No more than one copy of any document may be printed.
  2. No documents longer than 20 pages may be printed without the permission of the library staff on duty.

The rules and regulations for color printing are:

There is one color printer.

  1. The charge for the color printer is $1.00 per page and requires the assistance of library staff to print.

Please note Alumni access to computers does not include printing.  Alumni may print at the discretion of the librarian on duty.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Philosophy

The Kenneth W. Schuler Learning Resource Center (LRC) is an integral and indispensable part of the curriculum of the college. The LRC is a place to learn, to investigate, and to study, as it provides a myriad of educational opportunities. Recognizing that both traditional and non-traditional material formats are valuable information resources and stimuli, print material, software and the hardware necessary to implement their use are supplied by the LRC.

The faculty, aided by Learning Resource Center staff, strives to become familiar with resource materials that are available there and to make intelligent and efficient use of the LRC and those resources. All members of the college population cooperate in developing and working within a program design that provides for the informational and recreational needs of all.

Objectives

The college strives to prepare the whole student for a role as a contributing member of our society. The freedoms to read and to develop an awareness of humanity’s diverse heritage are essential rights in a democracy. It is the responsibility of the LRC staff to provide a collection of materials representative of all fields of interest and geared to the many needs of the students and the college staff.

Our goals are:

  1. To assemble, organize, preserve, and make easily available all materials necessary to fulfill the academic and vocational needs of the students, faculty, and staff of the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.
  2. To provide adequate and comfortable facilities that will encourage the utilization of LRC materials and maintain the proper atmosphere conducive to independent study and research.
  3. To provide professional LRC instruction and programming necessary for the support of the various curricula as prescribed by the faculty and administration and documented in the educational goals of the college.

Standards

The Learning Resource Center endorses the general principles in the American Library Association’s statements Freedom to Read and The Library Bill of Rights.

Standards for community, junior, and technical college learning resource programs, as prepared by the Association of the College and Research Libraries and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology are accepted as measurements for ensuring excellence.

Responsibility

The responsibility for the selection of print and non-print materials is delegated to the professionally trained LRC staff of the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Criteria for Selection

It is the primary responsibility of the Learning Resource Center to acquire all materials necessary to meet the informational needs of the students and faculty of the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. The collection must be able to support a post–secondary, two-year technical degree program which develops academic proficiency, and personal growth of students, faculty and staff.

The nature of higher education at Stevens Tech requires selection of resources which represent contemporary industrial, technical, and construction methods employed by practicing technicians and professionals. The collection must also provide research material sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the academic curriculum. Further, the Learning Resource Center must provide representative works of high caliber that will allow the students to discover and experience the universe beyond limits of technical knowledge and thereby encourage a desire for continuing education.

Collection development decisions will be based on input from the college’s population. Faculty participation in the selection process is essential and cannot be overemphasized. The final decision for acquisition of LRC materials is the responsibility of the LRC staff and the director.

The selection of materials is a continuous process because of changing curriculum content and the publishing of new media. The development process necessitates utilization of various acquisition methods and sources and the purchase of commercially available materials will usually suffice. However, the rental or leasing of materials may be necessary when purchase is neither possible nor practical.

Media housed in the LRC may include: books, periodicals, charts, maps, models, microforms, disc and tape recordings, slides, transparencies, video tapes, CD-ROM, computer software, and Internet and World –Wide-Web applications. Media may be recommended for selection by faculty, administrators, students, alumni, and advisory committees.

The following criteria will be used as they apply:

  1. Materials shall support and be consistent with the curriculum and educational goals of the college.
  2. Materials shall be appropriate for the subject area and ability level of the students for whom the materials are selected.
  3. Materials shall provide up-to-date content. Materials in some curriculum areas may fulfill this requirement even though they carry old copyrights.
  4. The quality of the writing or production must be sufficient to warrant the materials inclusion. 
  5. Format:
    PRINT
    -- Paper of good quality 
    -- Print adequate and well spaced 
    -- Sufficient margins to permit rebinding as required 
    -- Effective and pertinent illustrations 
    -- Firmly bound 
    -- Inclusive and accurate index 
    -- Bibliographies, charts, maps, glossaries present

    NON-PRINT
    -- High artistic quality 
    -- Medium appropriate for the message 
    -- Technical quality-good visual images, clear sound reproduction, effective use of color, synchronization of sound and visuals.
  6. The media shall contribute to the academic and or personal growth of the user.
  7. Content of significant contribution to the subject shall be preferred.
  8. Media properly indexed shall be preferred.

Procedures

In selecting materials for the collection the LRC staff evaluates the existing collection and consults:

  • Reputable, professionally prepared selection aids. 
  • Specialists from all departments and disciplines in the college. 
  • Specific recommendations for purchase submitted by students, faculty, advisory committees, administrators, staff and alumni.

Guidelines

The expansion of college Learning Resource Center collections to include a diversity of materials is a natural outgrowth of the acceptance of the LRC as an integral part of the total instructional program.

With the advent of local area and wide area computer networking and the combining of various digital delivery systems, medium must be subordinate to the delivery of required information sufficient to satisfy the college’s teaching mission. Therefore, the consideration of physical location, format and temporality, although necessary, may no longer be a sufficient indicator of appropriateness. Authenticating source authority and providing unobstructed access to, and free interaction with, the creators and users of information may be the Ultimate LRC responsibility.

  1. Reference Collection: The purpose of this collection is to provide basic tools such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, yearbooks, and other source material in major fields and subjects so that students can become familiar with the diversity of information to be found therein and can learn to utilize it systematically. 
  2. Nonfiction: Information resources in every general area form the basis of the nonfiction collection. In a subject area which is changing rapidly and where recency is important, materials will be added frequently. 
  3. Fiction: The importance of recreational reading as an educational tool cannot be underestimated. The fiction collection provides a means of acquiring insight and understanding of all kinds from individuals and situations far beyond the boundaries of student’s personal experiences. 
  4. Periodicals: Periodicals are chosen to enhance specific areas of the curriculum, to represent points of view on current issues and ideas, and to document technological advances and scientific thought. Particular consideration is given to titles, which are indexed in Applied Science and Technology Index, Readers Guide to Periodical Literature and other commercially available indexes. 
  5. Newspapers: Newspapers of general circulation dealing with matters of local, national, and international importance are available in the LRC for patron use. 
  6. Free and inexpensive materials: Free and inexpensive materials are subject to the same standards of evaluation stated above. Materials whose main purpose is advertising or which are largely commercial in nature will be excluded.

Gifts

Gift materials added to the collection of the Schuler Learning Resource Center must meet the same criteria as materials selected for purchase. Gift materials are accepted with the understanding that those, which are unsuitable for the collection, will be disposed of at the option of the director either by discarding outright or by presentation to a more suitable facility. Gift materials shall not be transferred to any individual or agency in exchange for money, property, or service. The LRC staff does not appraise gift materials but will provide a listing of the same to the donor as a courtesy.

Holds

Only materials of academic nature may have a hold placed on them. There are no holds on circulating DVDs and Videos.

Weeding

Weeding is the process of clearing the collection of those materials which have outlived their usefulness. This procedure is crucial in order to provide the LRC with a reputation for reliability and to utilize, in the best and most economical manner, available shelving space. The same thought and care given to selection of materials must be exercised in weeding so that the collection remains both balanced and useful to the unique clientele it is meant to serve. Once materials have been designated for removal, the appropriate instructor will be consulted before final action is taken. However, the final responsibility for removal of material belongs to the LRC director.

Removal of Materials:

Materials shall be removed from the collection when they are:

  • Out-of-date because they're content has become obsolete, inaccurate, or misleading. 
  • Superseded by new or revised editions.
  • Duplications of titles no longer in heavy demand. 
  • Too worn to be mended or rebound or are missing pages.

Discarding of Materials:

  • When materials are to be discarded all markings of ownership shall be removed or covered. Materials will then be discarded with regard to guidelines issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Limitations

Although the LRC’s responsibilities include acquiring all materials necessary to meet the informational needs of the college community, purchase of some materials would be better suited to other administrative areas. Provision of educational consumables including textbooks, workbooks, and commercially available tests is not, and should not be, the LRC’s concern. The LRC will not acquire personal copies of materials for students, faculty, or members of the administration, but will provide bibliographic guidance relevant to such purchases.

The director will endeavor to facilitate cooperation with local technical libraries, local academic libraries, and library consortia. Programs such as reciprocal borrowing privileges and interlibrary loans are currently in operation. The collection content of local libraries and the continuing development of remote electronic resources will have an influence on the depth to which the Kenneth W. Schuler LRC develops its collection.