SACS at RBC: Comprehensive Standard 3.8.1

3.8.1 The institution provides facilities, services, and learning/information resources that are appropriate to support its teaching, research, and service mission. (Learning/Information Resources)

JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

√ Compliance Partial compliance Non-compliance

NARRATIVE

The Richard Bland College Library provides facilities, services, and learning/information resources that are appropriate to support its teaching, research, and service mission.

Facilities

The Richard Bland College Library recently underwent a $2,650,000 renovation. Doubling in size and expanding to 23,080 square feet on two floors in January, 2008, the Library serves the current student population of 1,400 and has room to expand to accommodate the anticipated increase to 2,000 students expected by 2012. The Library now includes a media viewing room, an Information Commons, a bibliographic instructional room, and two study rooms. The Library is environmentally controlled and provides a safe, secure, and pleasant environment. It is ADA compliant throughout, and the Library’s website provides information and options for accessibility.

Square footage supporting library functions includes adequate space for compact shelving areas, stand-alone stack shelving, staff and work areas, as well as the Information Commons as well as rooms for use of media, individual and group study sessions, and instruction and guest speakers.

The Library networks 25 computers and printers in an Information Commons. Wireless access is also available throughout the Library for public access use.

Resources

The Library provides patrons with a sizeable collection of resources, either owned by the College or available through formal agreements. The Library’s in-house collection includes over 68,000 books, 53,200 eBooks, 118 periodicals, subscriptions to six newspapers, 2,130 DVDs, 1,620 videos and 33,670 microforms. As a member of VIVA (Virtual Library of Virginia), faculty, staff and students have access to 161 databases with full-text access to millions of articles and more than 5,600 full-text journals and newspapers, as well as nearly 10,000 full-text works of poetry and verse drama and over 750,000 other full-text scholarly materials (e.g. statistical reports and company financial reports). The Library participates in an integrated library system, the Williamsburg Research Libraries Partnership, which uses SIRSI (SirsiDynix) to integrate the system. Through a formal agreement, the technology staff at Swem Library, The College of William and Mary, maintains the system which includes upgrades and training for RBC Library staff. The system allows the speedy check out/in of materials; maintains patron and financial records; and it includes a reserve materials component.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is enhanced through memberships in both SOLINET (Southeastern Library Network, Inc.) and RALC (Richmond Academic Library Consortium). Through SOLINET faculty, staff and students may borrow materials from institutions throughout the region. RALC is a consortium of ten Richmond area college and university libraries and the Library of Virginia. Through RALC faculty, staff and students may borrow from the local area libraries.

Services

The RBC Library offers check-out privileges and services to RBC students, faculty, staff, alumni, and local community residents and high school students. Patrons can access Library policies and procedures online through the Library website. The Library also maintains a Manual of Policies and Procedures.

Reference services are available during the seventy hours per week that the Library is open. All librarians and staff members are trained in basic reference services, i.e. they provide research information and answer questions on where to find resources.

In the 2006 Library Student Satisfaction Survey most students indicated they accessed the library to use the computers, to read print resources, to study, and to use online resources.

A variety of instructional services are provided from individual instruction available during library hours to classroom instruction at the request of faculty. (See Comprehensive Standard 3.8.2 for information on instruction.)

Library patrons have access to LION (LIbraries ONline) the online catalog, VIVA (Virtual Library of Virginia) databases, and ILL (Interlibrary Loan). The Library uses EZProxy software for 24/7 access to resources and services through the Library website.

Media services are available for patrons to view, listen, and record on equipment in the media room. The media room houses TV/DVD/VIDEO combination equipment, CD players, record players and a digital camera. Students also have access to a microfilm printer and a photocopier.

Teaching is the primary method through which the College achieves its mission; thus, the Library provides a variety of services for faculty in support of their teaching. These include:

Circulation—policies allow faculty to borrow an unlimited number of books for an entire semester.
Library Instruction—faculty may schedule class tours and/or sessions on introduction to library resources or content specific instruction.
Assignment Design—faculty may request assistance for the preparation of bibliographies and webliographies for student research assignments.
Collection Development—faculty may submit recommendations for the purchase of materials.
Interlibrary Loan—books and videos not available in the RBC Library may be borrowed from another library. RALC (Richmond Academic Library Consortium) is especially useful for borrowing videos since a shuttle service picks up and drops off materials twice a week. Journal articles are expedited through ARIEL (a computer software program which uses the Internet for transmission).
Library Newsletters—the Library’s online newsletter provides faculty with up-to-date library information and news of interest. The Library staff also periodically sends e-mails to faculty containing descriptions of new books and DVDs that have been added to the collection.
Web pages for Faculty—the Library web page includes links to publications of interest to faculty including links to Academe and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Plagiarism Resources—the Library has developed a web page with information and links to resources on the subject of plagiarism.
Photocopying and laminating—faculty may reproduce, at no charge, a copy of an article in a periodical or reference book. The Library also will laminate faculty materials.
Reserves—faculty may place on reserve library materials, photocopies or personal items for “in library use” or for circulation.
Equipment—faculty may check out for instructional purposes laptop computers, and AV equipment including projection systems, record players, and an LCD Data Projector.

SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION

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SOURCE	LOCATION/Special Instructions
Year End Report of Collections 1997-2007	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
VIVA Fact Sheet	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Williamsburg Research Libraries Partnership	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
ILL Request Form	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
SOLINET Invoice	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
RALC Fact Sheet and Invoice	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Circulation Policies	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Library Web site (home page)	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Library Manual Table of Contents	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Library—Student Satisfaction Survey Results, 2006	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Comprehensive Standard 3.8.2	www.rbc.edu/SACS/Compliance/ 3-8-2.htm
LION	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
VIVA Electronic Resources and Invoice	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Bookmarks Publications	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
“Info to Go” @ Your Library ^®	Document only available to SACS reviewers.
Library Services for Faculty	Document only available to SACS reviewers.

Section III: Comprehensive Standard