Mission Statement

Albright College Library endorses the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services which state that "effective and appropriate services for the distance learning community will be equivalent to the services offered on campus." We strive to provide all students and staff, regardless of class location, with the online tools, print materials, and bibliographic instruction or assistance needed to successfully complete their research. Reference support, interlibrary loan service and access to online and print journals and books will be offered promptly and courteously, in person or by phone, U.S. mail or electronically.

Objectives

1. To offer equitable and personalized educational opportunities to distance learners. All students, faculty and staff, whether remote or on campus, will have access to quality resources and services as set forth in the Albright College and Gingrich Library mission statements.
   
2. To continuously assess the needs of our distance learning community, including frequent communication with faculty for course planning and collection development. Acquisition, reference and other policies will be regularly revised to reflect these needs and to ensure that the library is properly serving all students, faculty and staff. Our collection and services will accommodate unique learning styles and may include formats such as print, video, audio and electronically-delivered text and subscription databases. Equivalent materials to those used by on-campus students will be provided in sufficient quality, depth, number and timeliness to enable distance learners to satisfactorily meet course assignments.
   
3. To prioritize reference service so that there is ample staff available at times convenient to remote students' schedules, including evenings and weekends. There will be toll-free telephone access for our accelerated degree off-site students, fax and email access and opportunities for personal research consultations.
   
4. To develop interlibrary loan methodologies that promptly deliver library materials using existing and evolving technologies. Any document delivery (email, fax, or mail) will be consistent with current copyright law and fair use standards. The library will maintain reciprocal borrowing arrangements with other academic libraries and consortia such as ACLCP, Penn State and local community colleges.
   
5. To offer bibliographic instruction and training opportunities equal to those provided on campus. Teaching sessions, printed materials and online guides will be appropriate to the needs of the class and will help students develop information competencies. Librarians will regularly announce to the faculty the availability of distance learning library services.
   
6. To expedite the circulation of library materials with electronic reserves, rapid delivery and online renewals.
   
7. To partner with the IT Department in providing necessary technology infrastructure that is reliable, ubiquitous, secure and especially supportive of distance programs.
   
8. To ensure that our distance learning program will meet or exceed national and regional accreditation standards.

Service Priorities

1. The entire Gingrich Library Staff pledges to meet the information needs of our distance learners quickly, completely and courteously.
   
2. The Reference Department will provide research assistance on weekdays, evenings and Sundays during periods of high demand (fall and spring semesters). Librarians will be available for consultation during regular reference hours by toll-free phone and fax line, by email that is monitored regularly, and in the library. The personalized service will be equivalent to that given to on-campus students, faculty and staff.
   
3. The Interlibrary Loan Department will send, within 2 business days, books requested by distance learners (via the ILLiad system)that are owned by our library. Books will be mailed to the student's home or hand-delivered to the remote classroom.
4. The Interlibrary Loan Department will send, within 2 business days, copies of journal articles requested by distance learners (via the ILLiad system) that are owned by our library. Students will be notified by email when the journal articles are available to download in the ILliad system.
5. The Interlibrary Loan Department will process requests (via the ILLiad system) within 2 business days for materials not held by the Albright Library. These materials will be shipped (books and media) or available for download (articles and book chapters). All document deliveries will be consistent with current copyright law.
   
6. The Educational Technology Department will offer timely technical advice for database access issues, Blackboard questions and other computer problems.
   
7. Upon faculty request, the Librarians and members of the e-learning team will train distance learners and faculty to maximize their use of library resources.
   
8. The Library Liaisons will offer course planning assistance to remote faculty members. They will be available by phone, email or in person to offer support with assignments and locating needed materials. They will provide web versions of annotated bibliographies and subject guides, tip sheets and links to course-related materials.
   
9. The Collection Development Librarian will collaborate at least once a year with the Accelerated Degree administration and faculty in acquiring appropriate course support resources, including those in print, video, audio and electronic formats.

Appendices

• ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services
• Library website for Accelerated Degree Program support