Begley Library - Library Policies

Smoking is not permitted anywhere within the building.
Bringing food, beverages, or pets into the facility is not allowed. This also applies to classrooms in Begley.
In accordance with College policy (See SCCC Handbook "...children are not to be left unattended in any area of the College."), the Library/ITC does not permit children in attendance without adult supervision.
Be aware that others are studying; act in a manner that is not disturbing to others. Some classes are held on the second floor of the Library; please depart from these classes quietly.
Removal of books and other materials from the College library without following the normal checkout procedures will be considered theft. Students with such materials and books in their possession or on the premises in which they live will be considered as knowingly participating in the use of stolen materials. Disciplinary action will follow as in matters of theft. Thank you for your cooperation!

Access to Microsoft Office applications, most library databases and the Internet is available to all Begley Library patrons when computers are available; however, SCCC students have priority over community users for use of computer workstations.
Online content purchased by the library is generally available to all Begely Library patrons, including community users, except where prohibited by licensing agreements. Content limited to currently enrolled SCCC students and SCCC faculty and staff at this time: www.lexis.com (limited to currently enrolled SCCC paralegal students and SCCC paralegal faculty), and Lexis Nexis Academic databases..
Community users may be asked to yield use of a computer at the discretion of the Reference Librarian on duty.
ID may be requested of computer users. Patrons who do not produce ID may be asked to yield use of a computer at the discretion of the Reference Librarian on duty.
Reference Librarians specialize in helping students and members of the college community to do research and find information, using both print and electronic resources. As time and resources permit, Reference Librarians may also provide research assistance to members of the community at large.
Reference Librarians do not provide tutoring or in-depth assistance with remedial computer use, such as navigating the desktop, using the mouse or typing. Users needing to build their computer skills should take a computer class, or contact the Learning Center for tutoring in this area.
Reference Librarians cannot offer financial, legal or medical advice. Patrons requiring assistance in these areas should consult a financial, legal or healthcare professional.
Library computers are designated for academic use. As such, the computer support Reference Librarians offer is limited to the academic and informational activities of students, the college community, and as time and resources permit, the community at large. At the discretion of the librarianon duty, users may be asked to yield use of a computer if they are using itfor non-academic purposes.
Talking on cell phones is not permitted in the library, including the computer area. Calls can be made or taken in the lobby just outside the library entrance.
Library Printers are for academic use only. Library patrons may print a maximum of 15 pages, and a maximum of 1 copy. If your coursework requires you to print out a document longer than 15 pages, or to make more than 1 copy, please see the Reference Librarian on duty.
Patrons who are disruptive to other library patrons or staff will be asked to leave.
Sexual Harassment:
Displaying sexually explicit images or objects on computers is prohibited by College policy. Library users who violate the College’s sexual harassment policy will be asked to leave. If course-related work requires you to access sexually explicit material, please speak with the Reference Librarian to arrange for alternate viewing arrangements in a non-public area.
Failure to comply with these policies may result in a loss of library privileges, at the discretion of Library administration.

INTERLIBRARY LOAN POLICIES

Patrons who are eligible to use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service:

The service is available to faculty, staff and all full-time, part-time, or special group of students currently enrolled at Schenectady County Community College. Alumni and Faculty Emeriti may also request materials through Interlibrary Loan.

Who else may borrow from Begley Library?

Patrons from outside the SCCC community may borrow materials if they are requested through their local public, school, academic or special library. Residents of Schenectady County may make direct ILL requests, either by mail or fax by using our regular ILL Form, or by using our Electronic ILL Form (which is being developed), as long as they posess a valid SCCC Begley Library User card or a DAP card. However, at this time, all direct requests must be picked up at Begley Library by showing either a Begley User or DAP card. The only exceptions to this policy is that we will ship materials to SCCC Distance Learning students only, or if we can fill a photocopy request with a full text article via email.

The following materials are generally not available through Interlibrary Loan:

How do users submit requests?

Paper forms for both book and periodical requests are available at the Library's Reference Desk. Electronic request forms are also available from Begley Library's Home Page. Providing accurate, legible and complete information for each request is essential. Please do not abbreviate titles. Please provide source of reference, including any electronic reference sources. Requests with incomplete information will be returned to you. Before submitting requests, please make certain that materials you are requesting are not available at Begley.

Borrowing limits:

The number of materials that can be requested is the same as the general circulation policy (i.e., 18 books at one time) but due to staffing limits, we require a limit of 5 ILL requests processed per day per individual borrower. In other words, a patron may request 15 or 20 books or periodical articles but we will only process 5 per day, meaning it may take 3-4 days for your request to be processed.

How will you be notified?

Notification of the arrival of requested books will be sent to your campus office or address. Photocopies will be sent directly to your campus office or box number (i.e.with no additional notification). All books must be picked up and returned at the Reference Desk.

How long are the loan periods?

Loan periods generally range from 2 to 4 weeks. All loan periods are set by the lending libraries. A borrower who consistently returns books late will be refused further service.

Is it possible to renew books?

Reading your interlibrary loan material should be a priority. Renewals are granted at the discretion of the lending institution. Request a renewal from the Interlibrary Loan Office at least two days before the due date. Overdue books will not be renewed.

Direct Access Program - (DAP)

What is DAP?

The Direct Access Program (DAP) is a voluntary arrangement by which area libraries provide their patrons with direct access to other libraries in the Capital District Library Council. The program is designed to facilitate research beyond the usual resource sharing guidelines of CDLC. The direct borrowing of material is dependent upon the cooperation of the users since the libraries are not obligated to honor a DAP card if the borrower does not observe the regulations of the lending library.

Which Libraries Participate in DAP?

More than 50 academic, public, law, medical and technical libraries with combined resources of 8 million books and over 30,000 magazines and journals.

Some libraries will permit all DAP card holders to borrow, while others will permit only certain categories of DAP card holders to borrow directly.

Please visit the Directory of DAP Participating Libraries for more information.

How can you participate?

Obtain a DAP card from the Circulation Desk. The staff will answer any questions about the program, and supply you with a list of particiapting libraries.

Please remember that you are responsible for abiding by the rules and regulations of each of the libraries from which you borrow. Each library reserves the right to rescind the DAP card of anyone who abuses the DAP borrowing privileges.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Introduction

This collection development policy states the guidelines and principles followed in the selection and acquisition of resources for Begley Library/Instructional Technology Center. It is intended both to serve as a reference guide to those members of the Library/Instructional Technology Center staff who have collection development responsibilities and to communicate policies and practices to faculty, students, staff and community.

Mission of the Begley Library/Instructional Technology Center

The primary mission of the Library/Instructional Technology Center is to provide resources in support of the educational objectives of Schenectady County Community College. One of the principal means employed to achieve this end is the selection and acquisition of print, non-print and electronic resources. In developing the collection, the chief consideration will be given to those materials supporting the curriculum. Also, selected items which meet the general information needs of students and foster lifelong learning will be acquired. In times of budgetary constraints, faculty needing resources not included in Begley Library/Instructional Technology Center collections will be assisted in accessing the collections of other libraries.

Intellectual Freedom

Begley Library/Instructional Technology Center supports the American Library Association's BILL OF RIGHTS, which is appended to this document. In the development of its collection, Begley attempts to purchase materials and provide access to information which represent differing views. Censorship will not be exercised because of point of view or manner of expression. Begley will observe and be in compliance with current copyright regulations.

Responsibility for Collection Development

The ultimate responsibility for the development and maintenance of the collection rests with the Director of Library Services. The process of selecting resources for the collection, however, is a cooperative one involving the participation of Begley's professional staff, teaching faculty, students and staff. To facilitate this process, the Director assigns a member of the staff as liaison to each of the academic departments and other selected areas of the College. This system has evolved so that members of the faculty will work with their Begley liaison to evaluate the collection in the area of their subject expertise and suggest new resources for acquisition. Begley staff members are expected to maintain contact with the faculty in their areas of assignment and are encouraged to attend departmental meetings on an as-needed basis to exchange information related to curricular changes and Begley services and resources.

Requests for new acquisitions from students and staff are welcomed and reviewed on the same basis as those generated from other areas.

Coordinated Collection Development Program

The Library participates in the Coordinated Collection Development Program administered by the New York State Education Department through the regional3R's Councils (the Capital District Library Council for this area). Formulated to supplement the library materials budget of each academic institution which maintains eligibility through campus support, this funding is awarded to libraries in order to enhance collection development in designated subject areas. The purpose of the program is to strengthen regional library collections available for resource sharing.

Circulating Collection

The circulating collection is the largest and most comprehensive in the Library. It is composed of monographs, which are complete, non-serial items such as books, booklets and pamphlets, and selected serials which are available for circulation to students, faculty, staff, qualified community members and interlibrary loan. The subject scope of the collection reflects the curriculum and other needs of the institution. It is as comprehensive as funding allows, especially in the subject areas supported by Coordinated Collection Development Program funds.

Reference

The reference collection is composed of sources such as almanacs, encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, directories, handbooks, maps, and atlases. These are used in the Library where the reference staff can assist patrons with information needs. Reference resources are collected to serve the needs of students, faculty and staff. The subject scope of the collection reflects the curriculum and other needs of the institution. In order to provide information that is current and reliable, reference resources are updated regularly, at which time older print editions may be added to the circulating collection.

The Public Services Librarian is charged with overseeing the development and maintenance of this collection. Selection criteria for the reference collection include authority, academic level, scope, cost and format.

Periodical Collection

The periodical collection is composed of serials, which are publications issued periodically, or in successive parts. Since periodical publications represent a continuing expense, titles are added selectively. They are evaluated according to scope, depth, relevance to the curriculum, current or expected demand, price, availability of backfiles in microformat, and the availability of indexing for access to the subject matter contained in the periodical. Backfiles are kept for varying lengths of time depending on the demand for and usefulness of back issues of each title. Selected backfiles of periodicals that the Library wishes to retain are either kept and bound, or purchased in microformat or electronically.

Media Materials

The Library/Instructional Technology Center actively participates in the selection and purchase of instructional media materials which are funded through both academic department and Instructional Technology Center budget allocations, as well as Coordinated Collection Development Program funds. These materials are acquired to support the curriculum and are another form of subject information.

Since many of these items are to be used more often within the classroom, they should be previewed by a faculty or staff member when possible to insure their relevance. Additional factors taken into account are the availability of necessary hardware, technical quality of the production, currency of the materials, and cost-effectiveness. Selected materials not used expressly in the classroom, and those purchased with Coordinated Collection Development Program funds may be made available for circulation and interlibrary loan at the discretion of Library/Instructional Technology staff.

Performance rights for use of videotapes over the campus video distribution system are obtained at the time of purchase if possible. Pre-recorded materials for distance learning must be purchased or acquired with rights appropriate for their intended use.

Selected teleconference materials in video format are evaluated for addition to the collection and/or copies are made available within the constraints of copyright and licensing rights.

Electronic Resources

Begley Library acquires selected electronic products/services in CD-ROM format and online format accessible via the Internet. Products are selected as a result of collaboration among the Library

professional staff with input, when relevant, from teaching faculty. Selections may also be influenced by available consortial arrangements.

Selection criteria include usefulness for students, faculty and staff for course work and research; cost; technological capabilities and support; and amount of access provided to the campus. Other guidelines for selection of electronic resources include authority and scope, comprehensiveness, interface and availability of instructional guidelines.

Current electronic resources include CD-ROM products, ebooks, subscription databases and ejournals through Internet access. As new technologies emerge, they will be evaluated for inclusion.

Out-bound links from the Library website to other resources will be evaluated and periodically reviewed by librarians.

Government Publications

The Library selectively acquires government publications relevant to the curriculum and provides access to government information via the Internet.

The Library is designated a "New York State Documents Information and Access Center." Therefore, it receives basic bibliographic tools necessary for State document identification, as well as other items determined appropriate to this collection level by the New York State Library.

Government publications are catalogued and integrated into the collection.

Musical Scores

Single copies of musical scores in book form are added to the collection.

Art Prints

The Library has a small collection of framed art print reproductions available for circulation on campus. Occasional purchases are made when funding is available.

Juvenile Collection

A juvenile literature collection, consisting primarily of books for beginning readers, is maintained to support relevant college programs.

Paperback Collection

A separate collection of paperback leisure reading titles is maintained. Accepted donations and occasional purchases are added to the collection and minimally catalogued.

Textbooks

Gift textbooks are frequently received from faculty and students; those that are relevant to the curriculum and are reasonably current are placed in a separate textbook collection which is minimally catalogued and shelved by general subject area.

Special Collections

The Library maintains a small archival area where the special collections are housed. Materials related to the founding of the College and to the two historic buildings on the campus, Elston Hall (the former Hotel Van Curler) and the Center for Science and Technology (previously a General Electric facility and the site of early television broadcasts) are collected. These include correspondence and other documents as well as blueprints, photographs, negatives and newspaper clippings. Items such as the College's catalogs, student handbooks, yearbooks, and commencement and honors convocation programs are collected routinely along with other documents deemed to be relevant to the history of the institution.

Gifts

Gift items are accepted at the discretion of Begley staff. Materials are evaluated before being added to the collection. The Library reserves the right to dispose of gifts. Gifts are added to the collection based on the same criteria used for those that are purchased. A letter of acknowledgment will be sent to the donor, but no value appraisal will be made by the Library.

Foreign Language Resources

Begley Library/Instructional Technology Center selectively purchases non-English language resources. Some current interest magazines and general newspapers are maintained to support foreign language courses which are a regular part of the curriculum. The Library attempts to maintain a wide selection of foreign language dictionaries. Access to foreign language resources is also provided through the Library website.

Duplication of Resources

In general, only one copy of any item is purchased. Duplicate materials received as gifts are added to the collection if warranted.

Out-of-Print Materials

Out-of-print monographs are not pursued, unless it is necessary to replace lost or withdrawn materials with high circulation rates.

Weeding

The collection is reviewed on an ongoing basis. Resources are evaluated according to their content, authority, scope, currency, condition, patron use, applicability to the curriculum and importance to the overall collection. As new editions are received, older ones are removed unless retention is warranted.

The Library/Instructional Technology staff is responsible for weeding the collection. Keeping the reference collection current is the responsibility of the Public Services Librarian. The Instructional Technology Collection is the responsibility of the Coordinator of the Instructional Technology Center. Other classification areas of the collection are reviewed by the liaison librarian assigned to that subject area. Teaching faculty are encouraged to make recommendations for withdrawal of items in their subject areas. The regularly scheduled yearly inventory process conducted by Technical Services and Instructional Technology Center staff also contributes to the maintenance of the collection.