Policy Number: I-25
Last Reviewed: February 11, 2013
Responsible Dept.: Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs
To provide guidelines that govern library collections, direct library services, and facilitate access to library materials.
The library's collections are primarily academic program driven; the goal is to provide high quality, relevant and balanced collections in a variety of formats to support each academic area of the college. The quality of content and the fulfillment of academic curricular need are the first two criteria against which any potential item is evaluated. Other selection guidelines include:
Brown Library provides quality information services for students, staff, and faculty. Services are primarily student driven. The goal is to promote student success. Guidelines for services include:
Library services are available to all students, including distance learning/online students, dual enrollment students, and students taking classes at Virginia Western's off-campus facilities. Services may be provided through web pages supplemented by telephone and email, as well as shipment of materials by regular mail or UPS.
The library adopts the basic principles for library services that are expressed in the American Library Association's Library Bil! of Rights, such as
Patrons access traditional print and online library collections through catalog and other database links on the library's website. All Virginia Western students, faculty and staff are automatically loaded into the library's patron database, and their patron records can be called up by EMPL ID or by name. For that reason, library cards are not issued. Instead, any proper form of identification (a photo ID such as a current Virginia Western student or employee ID, or a valid driver's license) can be used to check out books. Community borrowers who are at least 16 years old may obtain a library card for checking out books; these borrowers must present proper identification (a current photo ID such as a valid Virginia driver's license or Virginia-issued ID) to receive a Brown Library card.
Anyone may access the library book catalog, however, access to library databases is limited to currently-enrolled Virginia Western students and current employees. When accessing library databases from off campus, students and employees must enter their user name and password. When accessing library databases on campus from personal computers, the college's wireless network may require a user name and password. When accessing library databases on campus from college computers or from computers at the college's off-campus facilities, user names and passwords are not required.
Brown Library provides access to materials that are not owned by the library. This access is provided through agreements and resource sharing with the Virginia Community College System and the Virtual Library of Virginia, and through interlibrary loan services.
The college respects and affirms the individual right to access library materials and services. The sole determination of what library materials and services a person will use rests with the individual.
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